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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d1c7641 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54726 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54726) diff --git a/old/54726-0.txt b/old/54726-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index eb99cc8..0000000 --- a/old/54726-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,17726 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Ladies' Paradise, by Émile Zola - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Ladies' Paradise - -Author: Émile Zola - -Contributor: Ernest Alfred Vizetelly - -Translator: Ernest Alfred Vizetelly - -Release Date: May 15, 2017 [EBook #54726] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LADIES' PARADISE *** - - - - -Produced by Dagny & Marc D'Hooghe at Free Literature (online -soon in an extended version, also linking to free sources -for education worldwide ... MOOC's, educational -materials,...) Images generously made available by the -Hathi Trust. - - - - - -THE LADIES' PARADISE - - -BY - -EMILE ZOLA - - -WITH AN INTRODUCTION - -BY - -ERNEST ALFRED VIZETELLY - -From the original French: - -Au bonheur des dames - - - -LONDON 1895 -HUTCHINSON & CO. -34 PATERNOSTER ROW - - -[Illustration: "Ah, it's you, mademoiselle!" he said.] - - - -INTRODUCTION. - - -I certainly have no desire to frighten the female readers to whom this -free rendering of one of M. Zola's best books so largely appeals,--it -is indeed a book with a good sound moral, fit for every thoughtful -woman to peruse--but, in endeavouring to point out its scope and -purport, I must, in the first instance, refer to some matters in -which women, as nowadays educated, take as a rule but the scantiest -of interest. Still many of them may have heard that in the opinion of -various _fin-de-siècle_ seers and prophets the future of the human race -lies in collectivism, a prediction which I do not intend to discuss, -but respecting which I may remark that during the last half century -in this country there has certainly been a tendency in the direction -indicated, even amongst classes which profess to hold every form of -socialism in horror. - -This tendency towards collectivism has manifested itself notably in -certain trades and industries by the introduction of various forms of -co-operation, by the amalgamation, too, of rival businesses, and even -by the formation of quasi-monopolies which, evil and unjust as they -may appear to some, nevertheless rejoice the heart of many Socialists -who consider that the fewer the individual interests to be overthrown, -the easier will be their task of conquest when the time shall come for -olden society to give up the ghost. And, further, a tendency towards -collectivism is also to be traced in the establishment of those great -"universal providing" concerns which we know by the name of "stores", -and which many a Socialist will tell you are but the forerunners of the -colossal "magazines of distribution" which will become necessary when -collectivism shall have attained its ends. - -On all sides nowadays the small trader and the small manufacturer -are assailed, and in many instances can barely hold their own; for -cheapness is the god of the hour, and in cheapness they cannot hope -to compete with those who operate upon a colossal scale. Whether they -will ultimately be obliged to give up the contest, whether the passion -for individuality is destined to depart from the human race, these and -the many other questions which the problem suggests, I will leave to -the Collectivist prophets and to those who oppose their doctrines in -our reviews and newspapers. I have merely desired to call the reader's -attention to this problem and to the tendencies previously referred to, -because he--or she--will find that they constitute no small portion of -the subject of the present volume of M. Zola's works. - -In "Au Bonheur des Dames" M. Zola has taken as his theme a particular -phase of the amalgamation and "universal providing" tendencies, as -they have presented themselves in France; and the phase in question is -certainly one of the most interesting, if only for the fact that it is -so closely connected with the desires and needs of women. In a word -the work deals with those huge drapery establishments, like the "Bon -Marché" and the "Louvre", which are renowned throughout the world. - -We have no doubt several very large draper's emporiums in London, -but I do not think that any one of them can claim to rival either in -dimensions, extent of business, or completeness of organisation the -great French establishments to which I have referred above. I can -myself well remember the growth of the "Bon Marché" and the "Louvre". -Transferred, when my education was but half-completed, from the -solitude of the Sussex downs to the whirling vortex of Paris, I grew -up amongst those Haussmannite transformations which virtually made the -French capital a new city--a city which became my home for well nigh -twenty years. Even now I am but a stranger in my own land, among my own -kith and kin; and my memory ever dwells on those years when I saw Paris -develop, opening her streets to air and light and health, increasing -her wealth and her activity, on the one hand multiplying her workshops, -ever busy, thanks to the taste and dexterity of her craftsmen, and on -the other, by the attraction of a thousand pleasures, becoming the -caravanserai of Europe. And my fanatical admiration for M. Zola and for -all his works, the passion which has induced me to translate so many -of them, arises mainly from the fact that they deal so largely with -Paris and her life at a period which I so well remember, with scenes -and incidents which I can so readily recall and which carry me back to -the days when the heart was light and buoyant, and sorrow was a thing -unknown. And when, now and again sundry supercilious English critics, -qualified by a smattering of French and a few months' residence in -France, presume to sneer at M. Zola's pictures of French manners and -customs in the days of the Second Empire, I merely shrug my shoulders -at their ignorance. For my own part I believe, for like St. Thomas I -have seen. - -Among the subjects dealt with by M. Zola in the Rougon-Macquart series, -that of the present work,--the development of the great _magasins de -nouveautés_--is to me one of the most familiar, for the reason that -I have always taken a keen interest in the attire and adornment of -women, and in my salad days wrote some hundreds of columns of fashion's -articles for English newspapers. And my duties in those days took me -not only to the _salons_ of M. Worth, M. Pingat and other _faiseurs à -la mode_, but also to the great drapers', for if, on the one hand, I -learned in the former establishments what would be worn by royalty, -aristocracy and fashionable depravity, on the other, in the huge -bazaars similar to "Au Bonheur des Dames", I ascertained what would -be the popular craze of the hour, the material which would be seen -on the back of every second woman one might meet, and the one or two -colours which for a few months would catch the eye at every street -corner. All this may seem to be frivolity, but it is on such frivolity -that a goodly portion of civilized humanity subsists. I find M. -André Cochut, a well informed writer, holding an official position, -stating in 1866--a year which comes within the period I am referring -to--that there were then 26,000 shops and work-shops in Paris which -sold or made (almost exclusively) articles of female attire; and these -26,000 establishments (many, of course, very small) gave employment -to nearly 140,000 persons of both sexes, among whom there were 1500 -designers. Moreover, the trade of Paris in materials and made-up goods -was estimated at 570 millions of francs, or £22,800,000! Under these -circumstances that Paris should have claimed the sovereignty of fashion -is, I think, not surprising. - -Nowadays the number of establishments selling or making goods for -feminine attire has undoubtedly decreased, but the trade is greater -than ever. Well nigh the only alteration one can trace, is that many -of the smaller houses have been swallowed up by their big rivals in -accordance with the usual conditions of the struggle for life. The -big establishments did not, however, step into the arena, huge like -Goliaths and armed _cap-à-pié_. As M. Zola relates in the following -pages, they likewise had humble beginnings, and would never have -expanded as they did, but for the commercial genius of their founders. -I remember the "Bon Marché" having but one entrance (in the Rue du -Bac, near the corner of the Rue de Sèvres) and ranking, in the opinion -of the women of the neighbourhood, far below the "Petit St. Thomas" -which it has since altogether outstripped. In the same way the huge -block of building now occupied by the "Magasins du Louvre" comprised -some forty different shops held by different tenants. Indeed the pile -had originally been erected for an hotel, the Grand Hôtel du Louvre, -and the shops, even those bearing the name of the Louvre, were at the -outset, only a secondary consideration. But gradually a transformation -was effected; the drapery emporium became larger and larger, secured -the adjoining shops, and ultimately invaded the hotel itself. - -Certainly all this was not easily brought about. Many neighbouring -tenants refused to give way to the monster and clung stubbornly -to their leases, fighting the unequal battle with the utmost -obstinacy,--an obstinacy such as that which the Baudus, and old -Bourras, the umbrella maker, will be found displaying in M. Zola's -pages. In the case of the "Louvre", the last of these stubborn -antagonists was, if I recollect rightly, a stationer whose shop fronted -on the Place du Palais Royal, and I believe that he held out until his -lease fell in. At the "Bon Marché" too, the Boucicauts had to contend -against similar obstacles; and, there, the enlargement of the premises -was attended by difficulties akin to those which M. Zola describes; -for many of the adjoining houses were decrepit, tumble-down vestiges -of olden Paris; and each time the "Bon Marché" gained a few yards of -frontage expensive building operations had to be carried out. - -In his present work M. Zola has, of course, not taken as his theme the -actual history of either of the great establishments to which I have -been referring. But from that history and from the history of other -important _magasins de nouveautés_ he has borrowed a multitude of -curious and interesting facts, which he has blended into a realistic -whole. Curiously enough the site which he has chosen for "Au Bonheur -des Dames" was really the site of a fairly large drapery emporium, -which became the "Grands Magasins du 4 Septembre"; but perhaps that -title, savouring as it did of revolution (the revolution of 1870), -brought the establishment bad luck with women caring little or nothing -for politics; for it failed to attain the success to which its central -situation seemed to entitle it. The "Place Clichy," to which M. Zola -will be found referring, still exists, and does a largely increasing -business with all the north of Paris; whilst as for the "Four Seasons", -which one of his characters, Bouthemont the silk-salesman, establishes -near the grand opera-house, this is really the "Printemps," that white -and blue and gilded palace which the Parisians owe to the commercial -enterprise of M. Jules Jaluzot, by some people unkindly nicknamed "the -man with the umbrella". - -I have often thought that, from the commercial point of view there is -considerable resemblance between M. Jaluzot and M. Zola's hero, Octave -Mouret. The latter figures at an earlier stage of his life in another -of M. Zola's novels--"Pot-Bouille"--but he there appears as a graceless -Don Juan without a redeeming quality; whereas, in the present work, one -observes the development of his business capacities, and the gradual -progress of his reformation, till his career culminates in a marriage -which ought to prove a very happy one, if there be any truth in the old -saw that a reformed rake makes the best of husbands. I have, however, -no desire to institute the faintest comparison between the private life -of Octave Mouret and that of M. Jaluzot; but in describing the former's -commercial genius and boldness M. Zola has, I think, more than once -thought of the latter's hardihood and talent in carving for himself -a great industrial kingdom beside those of the "Bon Marché" and the -"Louvre". - -M. Jaluzot is famous in Paris for the rare ability he displays in -turning everything into advertisement, and this of course is an -extremely valuable gift, as advertisement is the very life of the -huge _magasins de nouveautés_. Some years ago the "Printemps" was -burnt down; and when the necessary rebuilding operations began M. -Jaluzot prevailed upon the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris to come and -bless the foundation stone of the new edifice. This inspiration--well -worthy of M. Zola's hero--secured to M. Jaluzot extensive patronage -among the devout; and it was important at the time that he should -reconcile himself with society, for on the occasion of the burning of -his establishment the entire Parisian press had reproached him with -showing greater eagerness to rush off and purchase an umbrella, for -protection against a shower, than to minister to the needs of the -numerous employees who had been cast on the pavement of Paris by the -catastrophe. Hence the nickname to which I have previously referred. - -With the every-day life of the Parisian drapery employee the present -work is very largely concerned. From the personal investigations I -made at former times, the many conversations I had with employees -of this class, the numerous corroborative statements I have read in -the works of other French writers, I believe M. Zola's pictures of -the "counter jumper's" existence at the period dealt with, to be -scrupulously accurate. It will be noticed that these pictures slowly -change in certain respects as the story proceeds. Mouret at last begins -to take more interest in the material comforts of his staff, provides -it with better food, and treats it generally in a more reasonable -manner; whilst among the employees themselves, their depravity and -vulgarity, hidden beneath a surface elegance and politeness, is at -times altogether stamped out, at others thrust back far more deeply. To -the Boucicauts of the "Bon Marché" largely belongs the honour of having -improved the material well-being, and raised the moral tone of shopmen -of this class; and their example has been very generally followed. -Still, as every Paris "calicot" well knows, there is one great emporium -whose internal organization is still open to serious criticism. - -"Calicot," I may mention, is the French equivalent of our term -"counter-jumper"; and in this introduction to a work which deals so -largely with the "calicot's" life it may not be out of place to explain -the origin of the nickname. It dates from 1817, when a vaudeville -called "_Le Combat des Montagnes, ou la Folie-Beaujon_" by Scribe -and Dupin was performed at the Paris Théâtre des Variétés. At that -period, with the wars of the Empire still fresh in their recollection, -the Parisians generally evinced a cordial respect for those who -had seen service; and the young men of the capital, promenading on -the boulevards, were fond of affecting a military appearance and -demeanour. Matters even came to such a pass that drapers'-assistants, -_commis-marchands_ as they were then called, cultivated huge moustaches -and wore spurs on their boots even when behind their counters. To -this ridiculous craze Scribe and Dupin alluded in their vaudeville, -into which they introduced a certain "counter-jumper" called Monsieur -Calicot, whom the other characters of the play at first mistook -for some survivor of the Old Guard. The result, as might have been -expected, was an explosion of rage among all the drapery employees of -Paris. They besieged the theatre, and desperate and sanguinary battles -ensued in the auditorium. The authorities, however, declined to place -the vaudeville under interdict; and after several interventions on the -part of the police, the irate employees were cowed by the presence of -a detachment of grenadiers, who, with loaded muskets, stood on either -side of the stage throughout each performance. And from that time to -the present day "calicot" has been French for "counter-jumper"[1] so -far as drapery is concerned. - -However, the vaudeville did not cure the "calicot" of his partiality -for moustaches. These he still cultivates, as all who have been in -Paris well know; indeed he frequently grows a beard as well; but as -such hirsute appendages have long since ceased to be the exclusive -property of the military, nobody taunts him with affectation concerning -them. On the other hand he has wisely renounced the practice of wearing -spurs behind his counter, and if he sometimes evinces a little military -precision or even swagger it would be unwise to deem this assumed; -for in these days of the universal conscription it may well have been -acquired by real service in the ranks. Indeed, we must not sneer at the -"calicot"; he answers his country's call as readily as any other of her -sons. - -It remains for me to say a few words concerning the moral of this book. -The story of Denise's struggles, hardships and temptations, her quiet -courage and gentle steadfastness is invested by M. Zola with that -simple pathos which adorns so many of his works. The young girl passes -through the fire and emerges from it unscathed, protected by her own -sense of rectitude and the purity of her love, whilst others, alas, -are devoured. No more beautiful example of feminine resistance to evil -could be imagined. We follow the heroine's fortunes with emotional -interest and take a kindly satisfaction in her reward. Possibly, we -might wish that she had loved a somewhat worthier man than Mouret, in -whom there are many moral blemishes; but the reflection imposes itself, -that under her caressing influence these blemishes will disappear, that -Mouret will throw off all that remains in him of the old Adam and prove -worthy of the love that he himself feels and has inspired. And surely -woman's love can have no holier mission than that of the reformation of -man. What, moreover, would become of humanity if a woman's heart were -to be given only to the immaculate, in accordance with the paradoxical -dictum of some latter day lady-novelists? Does not the woman who brings -an erring man back into the straight path that he may contribute to the -common weal, achieve more good than she who simply plights her troth -to one as blameless as herself? And thus a halo encircles M. Zola's -heroine, Denise, the personification of all that is best and truest in -the female heart. - -One word more. The compass of the present introduction does not permit -me to establish a comparison between the relative positions of French -and English salesmen and women in the great drapery establishments. -I fear, however, from all I have heard, that several of M. Zola's -strictures on the treatment meted out to the employees of Octave -Mouret's bazaar, might be applied to English houses. And thus whilst I -recommend this book to women, whom its subject cannot fail to interest -and who will take a warning from the extravagance of Madame Marty and -find a bright example in the unswerving rectitude of Denise, I also -submit it to the attention of those who are seeking in this country to -improve the position of shop employees, for I feel certain that they -will find many a useful hint in its searching and accurate pages. - - -ERNEST A. VIZETELLY. - -_Merton_, May 1895. - - -[1] I find that Brunet who played the part of M. Calicot wore the -following typical costume: high boots with spurs, white trousers, -a buff waistcoat and a frock coat made of a green and white -"mixture"--_chicorée à la crême_, as the tailors of those days termed -it. - - - - -THE LADIES PARADISE. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - -Denise had come on foot from the Saint-Lazare railway station, where -a Cherbourg train had landed her and her two brothers, after a night -spent on the hard seat of a third-class carriage. She was leading Pépé -by the hand, while Jean followed her; all three of them exhausted by -their journey, frightened and lost in that vast city of Paris, their -eyes raised to the house fronts and their tongues for ever inquiring -the way to the Rue de la Michodière, where their uncle Baudu lived. -However, as she at last emerged into the Place Gaillon, the girl -stopped short in astonishment. - -"Oh! just look there, Jean," said she; and they remained stock still, -nestling close to one another, dressed from head to foot in black, the -old mourning bought at their father's death. Denise, rather puny for -her twenty years, was carrying a small parcel in one hand, while on the -other side, her little brother, five years old, clung to her arm, and -in the rear her big brother in the flower of his sixteen summers stood -erect with dangling arms. - -"Well I never," said she, after a pause, "that _is_ a shop!" - -They were at the corner of the Rue de la Michodière and the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin, in front of a draper's shop, whose windows -displayed a wealth of bright colour in the soft, pale October light. -Eight o'clock was striking at the church of Saint-Roch; and only -the early birds of Paris were abroad, a few clerks on their way to -business, and housewives flitting about on their morning shopping. -Before the door of the drapery establishment, two shopmen, mounted on -a step-ladder, were hanging up some woollen goods, whilst in a window -facing the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin another young man, kneeling with -his back to the pavement, was delicately plaiting a piece of blue silk. -In the shop, which was as yet void of customers, and whose employees -were only just beginning to arrive, there was a low buzz as in a bee -hive just awakening. - -"By Jove!" said Jean, "this beats Valognes. Yours wasn't such a fine -shop." - -Denise shook her head. She had spent two years at Valognes, with -Cornaille, the principal draper in the town; and this Parisian shop -so suddenly encountered and to her so vast made her heart swell and -detained her there, interested, impressed, forgetful of everything -else. The lofty plate-glass door in a corner facing the Place Gaillon -reached the first storey amidst a medley of ornaments covered with -gilding. Two allegorical female figures, with laughing faces and -bare bosoms unrolled a scroll bearing the inscription "The Ladies' -Paradise"; then, on either side, along the Rue de la Michodière and the -Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, stretched the windows of the establishment, -not limited merely to the corner house but comprising four others--two -on the right and two on the left which had been recently purchased and -fitted up. It all appeared endless to Denise, thus seen in perspective, -with the display down below and the plate glass windows above, through -which a long line of counters was to be perceived. Upstairs a young -lady, dressed in silk, could be espied sharpening a pencil, while two -others, beside her, were unfolding some velvet mantles. - -"The Ladies' Paradise," read Jean, with a soft laugh, like a handsome -youth who already has thoughts of women. "That's a pretty name--that -must draw customers--eh?" - -But Denise was absorbed by the display at the principal entrance. -There, in the open street, on the very pavement, she beheld a mass of -cheap goods--doorway temptations, bargains to attract the passer-by. -Pieces of woollen and cloth goods, merinoes, cheviots, and tweeds, -hung from above like bunting, with their neutral, slate, navy-blue, -and olive-green tints relieved by large white price-tickets. Close by, -on either side of the doorway, dangled strips of fur, narrow bands -for dress trimmings, ashen-hued Siberian squirrel-skin, swansdown of -spotless snowiness, and rabbit-skin transformed into imitation ermine -and imitation sable. Below, in boxes and on tables, amidst piles of -remnants, appeared a quantity of hosiery which was virtually given -away; knitted woollen gloves, neckerchiefs, women's hoods, cardigan -waistcoats, a complete winter show with colours in mixtures, patterns -and stripes and here and there a flaming patch of red. Denise saw some -tartan at nine sous, some strips of American bison at a franc the -mètre, and some mittens at five sous a pair. An immense clearance sale -was apparently going on; the establishment seemed to be bursting with -goods, blocking up the pavement with the surplus of its contents. Uncle -Baudu was forgotten. Even Pépé, clinging tightly to his sister's hand, -opened his big eyes in wonder. However a vehicle in coming up forced -them to quit the roadway, and they mechanically turned into the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin, following the windows and stopping at each fresh -display. At first they were captivated by an intricate arrangement: -up above a number of umbrellas, placed obliquely, seemed to form a -rustic roof; upon rods beneath them hung a quantity of silk stockings -displaying neat ankles and well rounded calves, some of them dotted -with rosebuds, others of divers hues, the black ones open-worked and -the red ones elegantly clocked; whilst those which were of a flesh -tint, looked, with their satiny texture, as soft as skin itself. Then, -on the baize covering of the show-stage, came a symmetrical array of -gloves with extended fingers and narrow palms recalling the hands of -Byzantine Virgins, all the rigid and, as it were, adolescent grace -which characterises feminine frippery before it is worn. However, it -was especially the last window which detained their eyes. An exhibition -of silks, satins and velvets, in a supple, vibrating scale of colour, -here set, as in full bloom, the most delicate hues of the floral -world. At the top were the velvets, deeply black, or white as curds; -lower down came the satins, pinks and blues, bright at their folds, -then fading into paler and paler tints of infinite delicacy; and lower -still were silks, the rainbow's variegated scarf, the several pieces -cocked shell-wise, plaited as though round some female waist, endowed, -as it were, with life by the skilful manipulation of the employees; -and between each _motif_, each glowing phrase of the display ran a -discreet accompaniment, a light, puffy roll of creamy _foulard_. Here -too at either end of the window, were huge piles of the two silks which -were the exclusive property of the establishment, the "Paris Delight" -and the "Golden Grain"--articles of exceptional quality destined to -revolutionize the silk trade. - -"Oh! look at that _faille_ at five francs sixty!" murmured Denise, -transported with astonishment at sight of the "Paris Delight". - -Jean, however, was getting bored and stopped a passer-by. "Which is the -Rue de la Michodière, please, sir?" - -On hearing that it was the first on the right they all turned back, -making the tour of the establishment. But just as she was entering the -street, Denise was again attracted by a window in which ladies' mantles -were displayed. At Cornaille's the mantles had been her department, -but she had never seen anything like this, and remained rooted to the -spot with admiration. At the rear a large scarf of Bruges lace, of -considerable value, was spread out like an altar-veil, with its two -creamy wings extended; then there were flounces of Alençon, grouped in -garlands; and from the top to the bottom, like falling snow, fluttered -lace of every description--Malines, Valenciennes, Brussels, and -Venetian-point. On each side pieces of cloth rose up in dark columns -imparting distance to the background. And the mantles were here, in -this sort of chapel raised to the worship of woman's beauty and grace. -In the centre was a magnificent article, a velvet mantle trimmed -with silver fox; on one side of it appeared a silk cloak lined with -miniver, on the other a cloth cloak edged with cocks' plumes; and, last -of all, some opera cloaks in white cashmere and quilted silk trimmed -with swansdown or chenille. There was something for every taste, from -the opera cloaks at twenty-nine francs to the velvet mantle which was -marked eighteen hundred. The round busts of the dummies filled out -the stuff, the prominent hips exaggerating the slimness of the waists -and the absent heads being replaced by large price-tickets pinned on -the necks, whilst the mirrors, on each side of the window, reflected -and multiplied all these forms, peopling the street, as it were, with -beautiful women for sale, each bearing a price in big figures in lieu -of a head. - -"How stunning they are!" murmured Jean, finding no other words to -express his emotion. - -This time he himself had become motionless, and stood there gaping. -All this female luxury turned him rosy with pleasure. He had a girl's -beauty--a beauty which he seemed to have stolen from his sister--a -fair white skin, ruddy curly hair, lips and eyes overflowing with -tenderness. By his side Denise, with her rather long face, large mouth, -fading complexion and light hair, appeared thinner still. Pépé, who -was also fair, with the fairness of infancy, now clung closer to her, -as if anxious to be caressed, perturbed and delighted as he was by the -sight of the beautiful ladies in the window. And those three fair ones, -poorly clad in black, that sad-looking girl between the pretty child -and the handsome youth, looked so strange yet so charming standing -there on the pavement, that the passers-by glanced back smilingly. - -For some minutes a stout man with grey hair and a large yellow face -had been looking at them from a shop-door on the other side of the -street. He had been standing there with bloodshot eyes and contracted -mouth, beside himself with rage at the display made by The Ladies' -Paradise, when the sight of the girl and her brothers had completed his -exasperation. What were those three simpletons doing there, gaping in -front of the cheap-jack's show booth? - -"What about uncle?" asked Denise, suddenly, as if just waking up. - -"We are in the Rue de la Michodière," replied Jean. "He must live -somewhere about here." - -They raised their heads and looked round; and just in front of them, -above the stout man, they perceived a green sign-board on which in -yellow letters, discoloured by the rain was the following inscription: -"THE OLD ELBEUF. Cloths and Flannels. BAUDU, late HAUCHECORNE." The -house, coated with ancient rusty paint, and quite flat and unadorned -amidst the surrounding mansions of the Louis XIV. period, had only -three front windows up above, square and shutterless windows simply -provided with handrails supported by two iron bars placed crosswise. -But what most struck Denise, whose eyes were full of the bright display -of The Ladies' Paradise, was the low ground-floor shop, surmounted -by an equally low storey with half-moon windows, of prison-like -appearance. Right and left, framed round by wood work of a bottle-green -hue, which time had tinted with ochre and bitumen, were two deep -windows, black and dusty, in which pieces of cloth heaped one on -another could vaguely be seen. The open doorway seemed to conduct into -the darkness and dampness of a cellar. - -"That's the house," said Jean. - -"Well, we must go in," declared Denise. "Come on, Pépé." - -All three, however, grew somewhat troubled, as if seized with fear. -When their father had died, carried off by the same fever which a month -previously had killed their mother, their uncle Baudu, in the emotion -born of this double bereavement, had certainly written to Denise, -assuring her that there would always be a place for her in his house -whenever she might like to try fortune in Paris. But this had taken -place nearly a year ago, and the young girl was now sorry that she -should have so impulsively left Valognes without informing her uncle. -The latter did not know them, never having set foot in the little town -since the day when he had left it as a boy, to enter the service of the -draper Hauchecorne, whose daughter he had subsequently married. - -"Monsieur Baudu?" asked Denise, at last making up her mind to speak to -the stout man who was still eyeing them, surprised by their appearance -and manners. - -"That's me," he replied. - -Then Denise blushed deeply and stammered: "Oh, I'm so pleased! I am -Denise. This is Jean, and this is Pépé. You see, we have come, uncle." - -Baudu seemed lost in amazement. His big eyes rolled in his yellow face; -he spoke slowly and with difficulty. He had evidently been far from -thinking of this family which now suddenly dropped down upon him. - -"What--what, you here?" he several times repeated. "But you were at -Valognes. Why aren't you at Valognes?" - -In her sweet but rather faltering voice she then explained that since -the death of her father, who had spent every penny he possessed in -his dye-works, she had acted as a mother to the two children; but the -little she had earned at Cornaille's did not suffice to keep the three -of them. Jean certainly worked at a cabinet-maker's, a repairer of -old furniture, but didn't earn a sou. Still, he had got to like the -business, and had even learned to carve. One day, having found a piece -of ivory, he had amused himself by carving it into a head, which a -gentleman staying in the town had seen and praised; and this gentleman -it was who had been the cause of their leaving Valognes, as he had -found Jean a place with an ivory-carver in Paris. - -"So you see, uncle," continued Denise, "Jean will commence his -apprenticeship at his new master's to-morrow. They ask no premium, and -will board and lodge him. And so I felt sure that Pépé and I would be -able to jog along. At all events we can't be worse off than we were at -Valognes." - -She said nothing about a certain love affair of Jean's, of certain -letters which he had written to the daughter of a nobleman of the town, -of the kisses which the pair had exchanged over a wall--in fact, quite -a scandal which had strengthened her in her determination to leave. And -if she was so anxious to be in Paris herself it was that she might be -able to look after her brother, feeling, as she did, quite a mother's -tender anxiety for this gay and handsome youth, whom all the women -adored. Uncle Baudu, however, couldn't get over it, but continued his -questions. - -"So your father left you nothing," said he. "I certainly thought there -was still something left. Ah! how many times did I write advising him -not to take those dye-works! He was a good-hearted fellow certainly, -but he had no head for business And you were left with those two -youngsters to look after--you've had to keep them, eh?" - -His bilious face had now become clearer, his eyes were not so bloodshot -as when he had stood glaring at The Ladies' Paradise. All at once he -noticed that he was blocking up the doorway. "Well," said he, "come in, -now you're here. Come in, that'll be better than gaping at a parcel of -rubbish." - -And after addressing a last pout of anger to The Ladies' Paradise, he -made way for the children by entering the shop and calling his wife and -daughter: "Elizabeth, Geneviève, come down; here's company for you!" - -Denise and the two boys, however, hesitated at sight of the darkness -of the shop. Blinded by the clear outdoor light, they blinked as on -the threshold of some unknown pit, and felt their way with their feet -with an instinctive fear of encountering some treacherous step. And -drawn yet closer together by this vague fear, the child still holding -the girl's skirts, and the big boy behind, they made their entry with -a smiling, anxious grace. The clear morning light outlined the dark -silhouettes of their mourning clothes; and an oblique ray of sunshine -gilded their fair hair. - -"Come in, come in," repeated Baudu. - -Then, in a few sentences he explained matters to his wife and -daughter. The former was a little woman, consumed by anæmia and quite -white--white hair, white eyes and white lips. Geneviève, the daughter, -in whom the maternal degeneracy appeared yet more marked, had the -sickly, colourless appearance of a plant reared in the shade. However, -a thick, heavy crop of magnificent black hair, marvellously vigorous -for such poor soil, gave her, as it were, a mournful charm. - -"Come in," said both the women in their turn; "you are welcome." And -they at once made Denise sit down behind a counter. - -Pépé then jumped upon his sister's lap, whilst Jean leant against the -panelling beside her. They were regaining their assurance and looking -round the shop where their eyes had grown used to the obscurity. They -could now distinctly see it all, with its low and smoky ceiling, its -oaken counters polished by use, and its old-fashioned nests of drawers -with strong iron fittings. Bales of dark goods reached to the beams -above; a smell of wool and dye--a sharp chemical smell--prevailed, -intensified it seemed by the humidity of the floor. At the further end -two young men and a young woman were putting away some pieces of white -flannel. - -"Perhaps this young gentleman would like to take something?" said -Madame Baudu, smiling at Pépé. - -"No, thanks," replied Denise, "we each had a cup of milk at a café -opposite the station." And as Geneviève looked at the small parcel she -had laid on the floor near her, she added: "I left our box there too." - -She blushed as she spoke feeling that she ought not to have dropped -down on her friends in this way. Even in the train, just as she was -leaving Valognes, she had been assailed by regrets and fears; and this -was why she had left the box at the station and given the children -their breakfast immediately on arriving in Paris. - -"Well, well," suddenly said Baudu, "let's come to an understanding. -'Tis true that I wrote to you, but that was a year ago, and since then -business hasn't been flourishing, I can assure you, my girl." - -He stopped short, choked by an emotion he did not wish to show. -Madame Baudu and Geneviève, had cast down their eyes with an air of -resignation. - -"Oh," continued he, "it's a crisis which will pass, no doubt, I'm not -uneasy; but I have reduced my staff; there are only three here now, and -this is not the moment to engage a fourth. In short, my poor girl, I -cannot take you as I promised." - -Denise listened, aghast and very pale. He repeated his words, adding: -"It would do no good to either of us." - -"All right, uncle," at last she replied, with a painful effort, "I'll -try to manage all the same." - -The Baudus were not bad sort of people. But they complained of never -having had any luck. In the flourishing days of their business, they -had had to bring up five sons, of whom three had died before attaining -the age of twenty; the fourth had gone wrong, and the fifth had just -started for Mexico, as a captain. Geneviève was the only one now left -at home. From first to last, however, this large family had cost a deal -of money, and Baudu had made things worse by buying a great lumbering -country house, at Rambouillet, near his wife's father's place. Thus, -a sharp, sour feeling was springing up in the honest old tradesman's -breast. - -"You might have warned us," he resumed, gradually getting angry at -his own harshness. "You might have written and I should have told you -to stay at Valognes. When I heard of your father's death I said what -is right on such occasions, but you drop down on us without a word of -warning. It's very awkward." - -He raised his voice, as he thus relieved himself. His wife and -daughter still kept their eyes on the floor, like submissive persons -who would never think of interfering. Jean, however, had turned pale, -whilst Denise hugged the terrified Pépé to her bosom. Hot tears of -disappointment fell from her eyes. - -"All right, uncle," she said, "we'll go away." - -At that he ceased speaking, and an awkward silence ensued. Then he -resumed in a surly tone: "I don't mean to turn you out. As you are here -you can sleep upstairs to-night; after that, we'll see." - -Then, as he glanced at them, Madame Baudu and Geneviève understood that -they were free to arrange matters. And all was soon settled. There was -no need to trouble about Jean, as he was to enter on his apprenticeship -the next day. As for Pépé, he would be well looked after by Madame -Gras, an old lady who rented a large ground floor in the Rue des -Orties, where she boarded and lodged young children for forty francs a -month. Denise said that she had sufficient to pay for the first month, -and, so the only remaining question was to find a place for herself. -Surely they would be able to discover some situation for her in the -neighbourhood. - -"Wasn't Vinçard in want of a saleswoman?" asked Geneviève. - -"Of course, so he was!" cried Baudu; "we'll go and see him after lunch. -There's nothing like striking the iron while it's hot." - -Not a customer had come in to interrupt this family discussion; the -shop remained dark and empty as before. At the far end, the two young -men and the young woman were still working, talking in low sibilant -whispers amongst themselves. At last, however, three ladies arrived, -and Denise was then left alone for a moment. She kissed Pépé with a -swelling heart, at the thought of their approaching separation. The -child, affectionate as a kitten, hid his little head without saying a -word. When Madame Baudu and Geneviève returned, they remarked how quiet -he was, and Denise assured them that he never made any more noise than -that, but remained for days together without speaking, living solely -on kisses and caresses. Then until lunch-time the three women sat and -talked together about children, housekeeping, life in Paris and life in -the country, in curt, cautious sentences, like relations whom ignorance -of one another renders somewhat awkward. Jean meantime had gone to the -shop-door, and stood there watching all the outdoor life and smiling -at the pretty girls. At ten o'clock a servant appeared. As a rule the -cloth was then laid for Baudu, Geneviève, and the first-hand; a second -lunch being served at eleven o'clock for Madame Baudu, the other young -man, and the young woman. - -"Come to lunch!" exclaimed the draper, turning towards his niece; and -when they sat ready in the narrow dining-room behind the shop, he -called the first-hand who had lingered behind: "Colomban lunch!" - -The young man entered apologising; he had wished to finish arranging -the flannels, he said. He was a big fellow of twenty-five, heavy but -crafty, for although his face, with its large weak mouth, seemed at -first sight typical of honesty there was a veiled cunning in his eyes. - -"There's a time for everything," rejoined Baudu, who sat before a -piece of cold veal, carving it with a master's skill and prudence, -calculating the weight of each thin slice to within a quarter of an -ounce. - -He served everybody, and even cut up the bread. Denise had placed Pépé -near her to see that he ate properly; but the dark close room made -her feel uncomfortable. She thought it so small, after the large, -well-lighted rooms to which she had been accustomed in the country. A -single window overlooked a small back-yard, which communicated with the -street by a dark passage running along the side of the house. And this -yard, dripping wet and evil-smelling, was like the bottom of some well -into which fell a circular glimmer of light. In the winter they were -obliged to keep the gas burning all day, and when the weather enabled -them to do without it the room seemed more melancholy still. Several -seconds elapsed before Denise's eyes got sufficiently used to the light -to distinguish the food on her plate. - -"That young chap has a good appetite," remarked Baudu, observing that -Jean had finished his veal. "If he works as well as he eats, he'll make -a fine fellow. But you, my girl, you are not eating. And, I say, now -that we can talk a bit, tell us why you didn't get married at Valognes?" - -At this Denise almost dropped the glass she held in her hand. "Oh! -uncle--get married! How can you think of it? And the little ones!" - -She ended by laughing, it seemed to her such a strange idea. Besides, -what man would have cared to take her--a girl without a sou, no fatter -than a lath, and not at all pretty? No, no, she would never marry, she -had quite enough children with her two brothers. - -"You are wrong," said her uncle; "a woman always needs a man. If you -had found an honest young fellow over there you wouldn't have dropped -on to the Paris pavement, you and your brothers, like a party of -gipsies." - -He paused in order to apportion with a parsimony full of justice, a -dish of bacon and potatoes which the servant had just brought in. Then, -pointing to Geneviève and Colomban with his spoon, he added: "Those two -will get married next spring, if we have a good winter season." - -Such was the patriarchal custom of the house. The founder, Aristide -Finet, had given his daughter, Désirée, to his first-hand, Hauchecorne; -he, Baudu, who had arrived in the Rue de la Michodière with seven -francs in his pocket, had married old Hauchecorne's daughter, -Elizabeth; and in his turn he intended to hand over Geneviève and the -business to Colomban as soon as trade should improve. If he still -delayed the marriage which had been decided on three years previously, -it was because a scruple had come to him, a fixed resolve to act in all -honesty. He himself had received the business in a prosperous state, -and did not wish to pass it on to his son-in-law with fewer customers -or doubtful sales. And, continuing his talk, he formally introduced -Colomban, who came from Rambouillet, like Madame Baudu's father; in -fact they were distant cousins. A hard-working fellow was Colomban, -said he; for ten years he had slaved in the shop, fairly earning all -his promotions! Besides, he was far from being a nobody; his father was -that noted toper, Colomban, the veterinary surgeon so well known all -over the department of Seine-et-Oise, an artist in his line, but so -addicted to the flowing bowl that his money fast slipped through his -fingers. - -"Thank heaven!" said the draper in conclusion, "if the father drinks -and runs after women, the son at all events has learnt the value of -money here." - -Whilst he was thus speaking Denise began to examine Geneviève and -Colomban. Though they sat close together at table, they remained -very quiet, without a blush or a smile. From the day of entering the -establishment the young man had counted on this marriage. He had passed -through the various stages of junior hand, salesman, etc., at last -gaining admittance into the confidence and pleasures of the family -circle, and all this patiently, whilst leading a clock-work style of -life and looking upon his marriage with Geneviève as a legitimate -stroke of business. The certainty of having her as his wife prevented -him from feeling any desire for her. On her side the girl had got to -love him with the gravity of her reserved nature, full of a real deep -passion of which she was not aware, in the regulated monotony of her -daily life. - -"Oh! it's quite right, when folks like each other, and can do it," at -last said Denise, smiling, with a view to making herself agreeable. - -"Yes, it always finishes like that," declared Colomban, who, slowly -masticating, had not yet spoken a word. - -Geneviève gave him a long look, and then in her turn remarked: "When -people understand each other, the rest comes naturally." - -Their affection had sprung up in this gloomy nook of old Paris like a -flower in a cellar. For ten years past she had known no one but him, -living by his side, behind the same bales of cloth, amidst the darkness -of the shop; and morning and evening they had found themselves elbow to -elbow in the tiny dining-room, so damp and vault-like. They could not -have been more concealed, more utterly lost had they been far away in -the country, under the screening foliage of the trees. Only the advent -of doubt, of jealous fear, could make it plain to the girl, that she -had given herself, for ever, amidst this abetting solitude, through -sheer emptiness of heart and mental weariness. - -As it was, Denise, fancied she could detect a growing anxiety in the -look Geneviève had cast at Colomban, so she good-naturedly replied: -"Oh! when people are in love they always understand each other." - -Meantime Baudu kept a sharp eye on the table. He had distributed some -"fingers" of Brie cheese, and, as a treat for the visitors, called for -a second dessert, a pot of red-currant jam, a liberality which seemed -to surprise Colomban. Pépé, who so far had been very good, behaved -rather badly at the sight of the jam; whilst Jean, his attention -attracted by the conversation about his cousin Geneviève's marriage, -began to take stock of the girl, whom he thought too puny and too pale, -comparing her in his own mind to a little white rabbit with black ears -and pink eyes. - -"Well, we've chatted enough, and must make room for the others," said -the draper, giving the signal to rise from table. "Just because we've -had a treat there is no reason why we should want too much of it." - -Madame Baudu, the other shopman, and the young lady then came and -took their places at table. Denise, again left to herself, sat down -near the door waiting until her uncle should be able to take her to -Vinçard's. Pépé was playing at her feet, whilst Jean had resumed his -post of observation on the threshold. And Denise sat there for nearly -an hour, taking interest in what went on around her. Now and again -a few customers came in; a lady, then two others appeared, the shop -meanwhile retaining its musty odour and its half light, in which -old-fashioned commerce, simple and good natured, seemed to weep at -finding itself so deserted. What most interested Denise, however, was -The Ladies' Paradise opposite, whose windows she could see through the -open doorway. The sky remained cloudy, a sort of humid mildness warmed -the air, notwithstanding the season; and in the clear light, permeated, -as it were, by a hazy diffusion of sunshine, the great shop acquired -abundant life and activity. - -To Denise it seemed as if she were watching a machine working at full -pressure, setting even the window-shows in motion. They were no longer -the cold windows she had seen in the early morning; they seemed to -have been warmed and to vibrate with all the activity within. There -were folks before them, groups of women pushing and squeezing against -the sheets of glass, a perfect crowd excited with covetousness. And in -this passionate atmosphere the stuffs themselves seemed endowed with -life; the laces quivered, drooped, and concealed the depths of the shop -with a disturbing air of mystery; even the thick square-cut lengths -of cloth breathed, exhaling a tempting odour, while the tailor-made -coats seemed to draw themselves up more erectly on the dummies, which -acquired souls, and the velvet mantle expanded, supple and warm, as if -falling from real shoulders, over a heaving bosom and quivering hips. -But the factory-like glow which pervaded the house came above all from -the sales, the crush at the counters, which could be divined behind -the walls. There was the continual roaring of a machine at work, an -engulfing of customers close-pressed against the counters, bewildered -amidst the piles of goods, and finally hurled towards the pay-desks. -And all went on in an orderly manner, with mechanical regularity, force -and logic carrying quite a nation of women through the gearing of this -commercial machine. - -Denise had felt tempted ever since early morning. She was bewildered -and attracted by this shop, to her so vast, which she saw more people -enter in an hour than she had seen enter Cornaille's in six months; and -with her desire to enter it was mingled a vague sense of danger which -rendered her seduction complete. At the same time her uncle's shop -made her feel ill at ease; she felt unreasonable disdain, instinctive -repugnance for this cold, icy place, the home of old-fashioned trading. -All her sensations--her anxious entry, her relatives' cold reception, -the dull lunch partaken of in a prison-like atmosphere, her spell of -waiting amidst the sleepy solitude of this old establishment doomed -to speedy decay--all these became concentrated in mute protest, in a -passionate longing for life and light. And despite her good heart, her -eyes ceaselessly turned to The Ladies' Paradise, as if, saleswoman -as she was, she felt the need of warming herself in the glow of that -immense business. - -"Plenty of customers over there at all events!" was the remark which at -last escaped her. - -But she promptly regretted these words on seeing the Baudus near her. -Madame Baudu, who had finished her lunch, was standing there, quite -white, with her pale eyes fixed on the monster; and resigned though she -tried to be, she could never catch sight of that place across the road, -without mute despair filling her eyes with tears. As for Geneviève, -she was anxiously watching Colomban, who, unaware that he was being -observed, remained in ecstasy, looking at the young saleswomen in the -mantle department of the Paradise, whose counter was visible through -the first floor window. Baudu, for his part, though his anger was -written on his face, merely remarked: "All is not gold that glitters. -Patience!" - -The members of the family evidently kept back the flood of rancour -rising in their throats. A feeling of self-esteem prevented them from -displaying their temper before these children, who had only that -morning arrived. At last the draper made an effort, and tore himself -away from the spectacle of The Paradise and its sales. - -"Well!" he resumed, "we'll go and see Vinçard. Situations are soon -snatched up and it might be too late to-morrow." - -However, before starting, he ordered his junior salesman to go to the -railway station to fetch Denise's box. On her side Madame Baudu, to -whom the girl had confided Pépé, decided to run over to see Madame Gras -in order to arrange about the child. Jean on the other hand promised -his sister not to stir from the shop. - -"It's two minutes' walk," explained Baudu as he went down the Rue -Gaillon with his niece: "Vinçard has a silk business, and still does a -fair trade. Oh, of course he has his worries, like every one else, but -he's an artful fellow, who makes both ends meet by his miserly ways. I -fancy, though, he wants to retire, on account of his rheumatics." - -Vinçard's shop was in the Rue Neuve-des-Petits-Champs, near the Passage -Choiseul. It was clean and light, well fitted up in the modern style, -but rather small, and contained but a poor stock. Baudu and Denise -found Vinçard in consultation with two gentlemen. - -"Never mind us," called out the draper; "we are in no hurry; we can -wait." And discreetly returning to the door he whispered to Denise: -"That thin fellow is second in the silk department at The Paradise, and -the stout man is a silk manufacturer from Lyons." - -Denise gathered that Vinçard was trying to sell his business to -Robineau of The Paradise. With a frank air, and open face, he was -giving his word of honour, with the facility of a man whom assurances -never troubled. According to him, his business was a golden one; and -albeit in the splendour of robust health he broke off to whine and -complain of those infernal pains of his which prevented him from -remaining in business and making his fortune. Robineau who seemed -nervous and uneasy interrupted him impatiently. He knew what a crisis -the trade was passing through, and named a silk warehouse which had -already been ruined by the vicinity of The Paradise. Then Vinçard, -inflamed, raised his voice. - -"No wonder! The downfall of that big booby Vabre was a foregone -conclusion. His wife spent everything he earned. Besides, we are more -than five hundred yards away, whilst Vabre was almost next door to The -Paradise." - -Gaujean, the silk manufacturer, then chimed in, and their voices -fell again. He accused the big establishments of ruining French -manufactures; three or four laid down the law, reigning like masters -over the market; and he gave it as his opinion that the only way to -fight them was to favour the small traders; above all, those who dealt -in specialties, for to them the future belonged. For that reason he -offered Robineau plenty of credit. - -"See how you have been treated at The Paradise," said he. "No notice -has been taken of your long service. You had the promise of the -first-hand's place long ago, when Bouthemont, an outsider without any -claim at all, came in and got it at once." - -Robineau was still smarting under this act of injustice. However, he -hesitated to start business on his own account, explaining that the -money came from his wife, who had inherited sixty thousand francs, and -he was full of scruples regarding this money, saying that he would -rather cut off his right hand than compromise it in a doubtful affair. - -"No," said he, "I haven't yet made up my mind; give me time to think -over it. We'll have another talk about it." - -"As you like," replied Vinçard, concealing his disappointment under -a smiling countenance. "My interest, you know, is not to sell; and I -certainly shouldn't were it not for my rheumatics----" - -Then stepping to the middle of the shop, he inquired: "What can I do -for you, Monsieur Baudu?" - -The draper, who had been slily listening, thereupon introduced Denise, -telling Vinçard as much as he thought necessary of her story and adding -that she had two years' country experience. "And as I heard you are -wanting a good saleswoman----" he added. - -But Vinçard, affecting extreme sorrow, cut him short: "How -unfortunate!" said he. "I had, indeed, been looking for a saleswoman -all this week; but I've just engaged one--not two hours ago." - -A silence ensued. Denise seemed to be in consternation. Robineau, -who was looking at her with interest, probably inspired with pity by -her poverty-stricken appearance, ventured to remark: "I know they're -wanting a young person at our place, in the mantle department." - -At this Baudu could not restrain a fervent outburst: "At your place -indeed! Never!" - -Then he stopped short in embarrassment. Denise had turned very red; -she would never dare to enter that great shop, and yet the idea of -belonging to it filled her with pride. - -"Why not?" asked Robineau, surprised. "It would be a good opening -for the young lady. I advise her to go and see Madame Aurélie, the -first-hand, to-morrow. The worst that can happen to her is to be -refused." - -The draper, to conceal his inward revolt, then began talking vaguely. -He knew Madame Aurélie, or, at least, her husband, Lhomme, the cashier, -a stout man, who had had his right arm crushed by an omnibus. Then -suddenly turning to Denise, he added: "However, it's her business, it -isn't mine. She can do as she likes." - -And thereupon he went off, after wishing Gaujean and Robineau -"good-day". Vinçard accompanied him as far as the door, reiterating -his regrets. The girl meantime had remained in the middle of the shop, -intimidated yet desirous of asking Robineau for further particulars. -However she could not muster the courage to do so, but in her turn -bowed, and simply said: "Thank you, sir." - -On the way back, Baudu said nothing to his niece, but as if carried -away by his reflections walked on very fast, forcing her to run in -order to keep up with him. On reaching the Rue de la Michodière, he -was about to enter his establishment when a neighbouring shopkeeper, -standing at his door, called to him. - -Denise stopped and waited. - -"What is it, Père Bourras?" asked the draper. - -Bourras was a tall old man, with a prophet's head, bearded and hairy, -with piercing eyes shining from under bushy brows. He kept an umbrella -and walking-stick shop, did repairs, and even carved handles, which -had won for him an artistic celebrity in the neighbourhood. Denise -glanced at the windows of his shop where the sticks and umbrellas were -arranged in straight lines. But on raising her eyes she was astonished -by the appearance of the house--it was an old hovel squeezed in between -The Ladies' Paradise and a large Louis XIV. mansion; you could hardly -conceive how it had sprung up in the narrow slit where its two low -dumpy storeys displayed themselves. Had it not been for the support of -the buildings on either side it must have fallen; the slates of its -roof were old and rotten, and its two-windowed front was cracked and -covered with stains, running down in long rusty lines to the worm-eaten -sign-board over the shop. - -"You know he's written to my landlord, offering to buy the house?" said -Bourras, looking steadily at the draper with his fiery eyes. - -Baudu became paler still, and bent his shoulders. There was a silence, -during which the two men remained face to face, looking very serious. - -"We must be prepared for anything," murmured Baudu at last. - -Thereupon Bourras flew into a passion, shaking his hair and flowing -beard while he shouted: "Let him buy the house, he'll have to pay four -times the value for it! But I swear that as long as I live he shan't -touch a stone of it. My lease has twelve years to run yet. We shall -see! we shall see!" - -It was a declaration of war. Bourras was looking towards The Ladies' -Paradise, which neither of them had named. For a moment Baudu remained -shaking his head in silence, and then crossed the street to his shop, -his legs almost failing him as he repeated: "Ah! good Lord! ah! good -Lord!" - -Denise, who had listened, followed her uncle. Madame Baudu had just -come back with Pépé, whom Madame Gras had agreed to receive at any -time. Jean, however, had disappeared, and this made his sister anxious. -When he returned with a flushed face, talking in an animated way of -the boulevards, she looked at him with such a sad expression that he -blushed with shame. Meantime their box had arrived, and it was arranged -that they should sleep in the attic. - -"Ah! By the way, how did you get on at Vinçard's?" inquired Madame -Baudu. - -The draper thereupon gave an account of his fruitless errand, adding -that Denise had heard of a situation; and, pointing to The Ladies' -Paradise with a scornful gesture, he exclaimed: "There--in there!" - -The whole family felt hurt at the idea. The first dinner was at five -o'clock. Denise and the two children sat down to it with Baudu, -Geneviève, and Colomban. A single gas jet lighted and warmed the little -dining-room which reeked with the smell of food. The meal passed off in -silence, but at dessert Madame Baudu, who was restless, left the shop, -and came and sat down behind Denise. And then the storm, kept back -all day, broke out, one and all seeking to relieve their feelings by -abusing the "monster". - -"It's your business, you can do as you like," repeated Baudu. "We -don't want to influence you. But if you only knew what sort of place -it is----" And in broken sentences he commenced to relate the story -of that Octave Mouret to whom The Paradise belonged. He had been -wonderfully lucky! A fellow who had come up from the South of France -with the smiling audacity of an adventurer, who had no sooner arrived -in Paris than he had begun to distinguish himself by all sorts of -disgraceful pranks, figuring most prominently in a matrimonial scandal, -which was still the talk of the neighbourhood; and who, to crown all, -had suddenly and mysteriously made the conquest of Madame Hédouin, who -had brought him The Ladies' Paradise as a marriage portion. - -"That poor Caroline!" interrupted Madame Baudu. "We were distantly -related. If she had lived things would be different. She wouldn't have -let them ruin us like this. And he's the man who killed her. Yes, with -that very building! One morning, when she was visiting the works, -she fell into a hole, and three days after she died. A fine, strong, -healthy woman, who had never known what illness was! There's some of -her blood in the foundations of that house." - -So speaking she pointed to the establishment opposite with her pale -and trembling hand. Denise, listening as to a fairy tale, slightly -shuddered; the sense of fear which had mingled with the temptation -she had felt since morning, was due, perhaps, to the presence of that -woman's blood, which she fancied she could now detect in the red mortar -of the basement. - -"It seems as if it brought him good luck," added Madame Baudu, without -mentioning Mouret by name. - -But the draper, full of disdain for these old women's tales, shrugged -his shoulders and resumed his story, explaining the situation -commercially. The Ladies' Paradise had been founded in 1822 by two -brothers, named Deleuze. On the death of the elder, his daughter, -Caroline, had married the son of a linen manufacturer, Charles Hédouin; -and, later on, becoming a widow, she had married Mouret. She thus -brought him a half share in the business. Three months after the -marriage, however, the second brother Deleuze died childless; so that -when Caroline met her death, Mouret became sole heir, sole proprietor -of The Ladies' Paradise. Yes, he had been wonderfully lucky! - -"He's what they call a man of ideas, a dangerous busybody, who will -overturn the whole neighbourhood if he's left to himself!" continued -Baudu. "I fancy that Caroline, who was rather romantic also, must have -been carried away by the gentleman's extravagant plans. In short, he -persuaded her to buy the house on the left, then the one on the right; -and he himself, on becoming his own master, bought two others; so that -the establishment has kept on growing and growing to such a point that -it now threatens to swallow us all up!" - -He was addressing Denise, but was in reality speaking for himself, -feeling a feverish longing to recapitulate this story which continually -haunted him. At home he was always angry and full of bile, always -violent, with fists ever clenched. Madame Baudu, ceasing to interfere, -sat motionless on her chair; Geneviève and Colomban, with eyes cast -down, were picking up and eating the crumbs off the table, just for the -sake of something to do. It was so warm, so stuffy in that tiny room -that Pépé had fallen asleep with his head on the table, and even Jean's -eyes were closing. - -"But wait a bit!" resumed Baudu, seized with a sudden fit of anger, -"such jokers always go to smash! Mouret is hard-pushed just now; I -know that for a fact. He's been forced to spend all his savings on his -mania for extensions and advertisements. Moreover, in order to raise -additional capital, he has induced most of his shop-people to invest -all they possess with him. And so he hasn't a sou to help himself with -now; and, unless a miracle be worked, and he manages to treble his -sales, as he hopes to do, you'll see what a crash there'll be! Ah! I'm -not ill-natured, but that day I'll illuminate my shop-front, I will, on -my word of honour!" - -And he went on in a revengeful voice; to hear him you would have -thought that the fall of The Ladies' Paradise would restore the -dignity and prestige of commerce. Had any one ever seen such doings? -A draper's shop selling everything! Why not call it a bazaar at once? -And the employees! a nice set they were too--a lot of puppies, who -did their work like porters at a railway station, treating both goods -and customers as if they were so many parcels; taking themselves off -or getting the sack at a moment's notice. No affection, no morals, -no taste! And all at once he appealed to Colomban as a witness; he, -Colomban, brought up in the good old school, knew how long it took to -learn all the cunning and trickery of the trade. The art was not to -sell much, but to sell dear. And then too, Colomban could tell them how -he had been treated, carefully looked after, his washing and mending -done, nursed in illness, considered as one of the family--loved, in -fact! - -"Of course, of course," repeated Colomban, after each statement made by -his governor. - -"Ah, you're the last of the old stock, my dear fellow," Baudu ended by -declaring. "After you're gone there'll be none left. You are my sole -consolation, for if all that hurry and scurry is what they now call -business I understand nothing of it and would rather clear out." - -Geneviève, with her head on one side as if her thick hair were weighing -down her pale brow, sat watching the smiling shopman; and in her -glance there was a gleam of suspicion, a wish to see whether Colomban, -stricken with remorse, would not blush at all this praise. But, like -a fellow well acquainted with every trick of the old style of trade, -he retained his sedateness, his good-natured air, with just a touch of -cunning about his lips. However, Baudu still went on, louder than ever, -accusing the people opposite--that pack of savages who murdered each -other in their struggle for existence--of even destroying all family -ties. And he mentioned his country neighbours, the Lhommes--mother, -father, and son--all employed in the infernal shop, people who -virtually had no home but were always out and about, leading a hotel, -_table d'hôte_ kind of existence, and never taking a meal at their -own place excepting on Sundays. Certainly his dining-room wasn't over -large or too well aired or lighted; but at least it spoke to him of his -life, for he had lived there amidst the affection of his kith and kin. -Whilst speaking, his eyes wandered about the room; and he shuddered -at the unavowed idea that if those savages should succeed in ruining -his trade they might some day turn him out of this hole where he was -so comfortable with his wife and child. Notwithstanding the seeming -assurance with which he predicted the utter downfall of his rivals, he -was in reality terrified, feeling at heart that the neighbourhood was -being gradually invaded and devoured. - -"Well, I don't want to disgust you," he resumed, trying to calm -himself; "if you think it to your interest to go there, I shall be the -first to say, 'go.'" - -"I am sure of that, uncle," murmured Denise in bewilderment, her desire -to enter The Ladies' Paradise, growing keener and keener amidst all -this display of passion. - -Baudu had put his elbows on the table, and was wearying her with -his fixed stare. "But look here," he resumed; "you who know the -business, do you think it right that a simple draper's shop should -sell everything? Formerly, when trade was trade, drapers sold nothing -but drapery. But now they are doing their best to snap up every branch -of trade and ruin their neighbours. The whole neighbourhood complains -of it, every small tradesman is beginning to suffer terribly. This -man Mouret is ruining them. For instance, Bédoré and his sister, who -keep the hosiery shop in the Rue Gaillon, have already lost half their -customers; Mademoiselle Tatin, who sells under-linen in the Passage -Choiseul, has been obliged to lower her prices, to be able to sell at -all. And the effects of this scourge, this pest, are felt as far as -the Rue Neuve-des-Petits-Champs, where I hear that Messrs. Vanpouille -Brothers, the furriers, cannot hold out much longer. Ah! Drapers -selling fur goods--what a farce! another of Mouret's ideas!" - -"And gloves," added Madame Baudu; "isn't it monstrous? He has even -dared to add a glove department! Yesterday, when I passed down the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin, I saw Quinette, the glover, at his door, looking -so downcast that I hadn't the heart to ask him how business was going." - -"And umbrellas," resumed Baudu; "that's the climax! Bourras is -convinced that Mouret simply wants to ruin him; for, in short, where's -the rhyme between umbrellas and drapery? But Bourras is firm on his -legs, and won't let himself be butchered! We shall see some fun one of -these days." - -Then Baudu went on to speak of other tradesmen, passing the whole -neighbourhood in review. Now and again he let slip a confession. If -Vinçard wanted to sell it was time for the rest to pack up, for Vinçard -was like the rats who make haste to leave a house when it threatens -ruin. Then, however, immediately afterwards, he contradicted himself, -and talked of an alliance, an understanding between the small tradesmen -to enable them to fight the colossus. For a moment, his hands shaking, -and his mouth twitching nervously, he hesitated as to whether he should -speak of himself. At last he made up his mind to do so. - -"As for me," he said, "I can't complain as yet. Of course he has -done me harm, the scoundrel! But up to the present he has only kept -ladies' cloths, light stuffs for dresses and heavier goods for mantles. -People still come to me for men's goods, velvets and velveteens for -shooting suits, cloths for liveries, without speaking of flannels and -_molletons_, of which I defy him to show so complete an assortment as -my own. But he thinks he will annoy me by placing his cloth department -right in front of my door. You've seen his display, haven't you? He -always places his finest mantles there, surrounded by a framework of -cloth in pieces--a cheapjack parade to tempt the hussies. Upon my word, -I should be ashamed to use such means! The Old Elbeuf has been known -for nearly a hundred years, and has no need of any such catchpenny -devices at its door. As long as I live, it shall remain as I took it, -with its four samples on each side, and nothing more!" - -The whole family was becoming affected; and after a spell of silence -Geneviève ventured to make a remark: - -"Our customers know and like us, papa," said she. "We mustn't lose -heart. Madame Desforges and Madame de Boves have been to-day, and I am -expecting Madame Marty for some flannel." - -"For my part," declared Colomban, "I took an order from Madame -Bourdelais yesterday. 'Tis true she spoke of an English cheviot marked -up opposite ten sous cheaper than ours, and the same stuff, it appears." - -"Fancy," murmured Madame Baudu in her weak voice, "we knew that house -when it was scarcely larger than a handkerchief! Yes, my dear Denise, -when the Deleuzes started it, it had only one window in the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin; and such a tiny one, there was barely room for a -couple of pieces of print and two or three pieces of calico. There was -no room to turn round in the shop, it was so small. At that time The -Old Elbeuf, after sixty years' trading, was already such as you see it -now. Ah! all has greatly changed, greatly changed!" - -She shook her head; the drama of her whole life was expressed in those -few words. Born in the old house, she loved each of its damp stones, -living only for it and by it; and, formerly so proud of that house, -the finest, the best patronised in the neighbourhood, she had had -the daily grief of seeing the rival establishment gradually growing -in importance, at first disdained, then equal to her own and finally -towering above it, and threatening all. This was to her an ever-open -sore; she was slowly dying from sheer grief at seeing The Old Elbeuf -humiliated; if she still lived it was, as in the case of the shop -itself, solely by the effect of impulsion; but she well realised that -the death of the shop would be hers as well, and that she would pass -away on the day when it should close. - -Silence fell. Baudu began softly beating a tattoo with his fingers on -the American cloth on the table. He experienced a sort of lassitude, -almost a regret at having once more relieved his feelings in this way. -The whole family shared his despondency, and with dreamy eyes chewed -the cud of his bitter story. They never had had any luck. The children -had been brought up and fortune had seemed at hand, when suddenly this -competition had arisen and ruined all their hopes. And there was, also, -that house at Rambouillet, that country house to which the draper had -been dreaming of retiring for the last ten years--a bargain, he had -thought when he acquired it, but it had proved a sorry old building, -always in want of repairs, and he had let it to people who never -paid any rent. His last profits were swallowed up by this place--the -only folly he had been guilty of in his honest, upright career as a -tradesman stubbornly attached to the old ways. - -"Come, come!" he suddenly exclaimed, "we must make room for the others. -That's enough of this useless talk!" - -It was like an awakening. The gas was hissing in the lifeless, stifling -air of the tiny room. They all jumped up, breaking the melancholy -silence. Pépé, however, was sleeping so soundly that they decided to -lay him on some bales of cloth. Jean had already returned to the street -door yawning. - -"In short," repeated Baudu to his niece, "you can do as you like. -We have explained the matter to you, that's all. You know your own -business best." - -He gave her an urgent glance, waiting for a decisive answer. But -Denise, whom these stories had inspired with a still greater longing to -enter The Ladies' Paradise, instead of turning her from it, retained -her quiet gentle demeanour beneath which lurked a genuine Norman -obstinacy. And she simply replied: "We'll see, uncle." - -Then she spoke of going to bed early with the children, for they were -all three very tired. But it had only just struck six, so she decided -to stay in the shop a little longer. Night had now come on, and she -found the street quite dark, drenched by a fine close rain, which had -been falling since sunset. It came on her as a surprise. A few minutes -had sufficed to fill the roadway with puddles, a stream of dirty -water was running along the gutters, the pavement was sticky with a -thick black mud; and through the beating rain she saw nothing but a -confused stream of umbrellas, pushing along and swelling in the gloom -like great black wings. She started back at first, feeling very cold, -oppressed at heart by the badly-lighted shop, now so extremely dismal. -A moist breeze, the breath of that old quarter of Paris, came in from -the street; it seemed as if the rain, streaming from the umbrellas, -was running right up to the counters, as if the pavement with its mud -and its puddles was coming into the shop, putting the finishing touch -to the mouldiness of that ancient, cavernous ground-floor, white with -saltpetre. It was quite a vision of old Paris in the wet, and it made -her shiver with distressful astonishment at finding the great city so -cold and so ugly. - -But across the road The Ladies' Paradise glowed with its deep, serried -lines of gas jets. She moved nearer, again attracted and, as it were, -warmed by that ardent blaze. The machine was still roaring, active as -ever, letting its steam escape with a last roar, whilst the salesmen -folded up the stuffs, and the cashiers counted the receipts. Seen -through the hazy windows, the lights swarmed vaguely, revealing a -confused factory-like interior. Behind the curtain of falling rain, -the vision, blurred and distant, assumed the appearance of a giant -furnace-house, where the shadows of firemen passed black against the -red glare of the furnaces. The displays in the windows likewise became -indistinct: you could only distinguish the snowy lace, its whiteness -heightened by the ground glass globes of a row of gas jets, and against -this chapel-like background the ready-made goods stood out vigorously, -the velvet mantle trimmed with silver fox setting amidst them all the -curved silhouette of a headless woman who seemed to be running through -the rain to some entertainment in the unknown shades of nocturnal Paris. - -Denise, yielding to the fascination, had gone to the door, heedless of -the raindrops dripping upon her. At this hour, The Ladies' Paradise, -with its furnace-like brilliancy, completed its conquest of her. In the -great metropolis, black and silent beneath the rain--in this Paris, to -which she was a stranger, it shone out like a lighthouse, and seemed -to be of itself the life and light of the city. She dreamed of her -future there, working hard to bring up the children, with other things -besides--she hardly knew what--far-off things however, the desire and -fear of which made her tremble. The idea of that woman who had met her -death amidst the foundations came back to her; and she felt afraid, -fancying that the lights were tinged with blood; but the whiteness of -the lace quieted her, a hope, quite a certainty of happiness, sprang up -in her heart, whilst the fine rain, blowing on her, cooled her hands, -and calmed the feverishness within her, born of her journey. - -"It's Bourras," all at once said a voice behind her. - -She leant forward, and perceived the umbrella-maker, motionless before -the window containing the ingenious roof-like construction of umbrellas -and walking-sticks which she had noticed in the morning. The old man -had slipped up there in the dark, to feast his eyes on that triumphant -show; and so great was his grief that he was unconscious of the rain -beating down on his bare head, and streaming off his long white hair. - -"How stupid he is, he'll make himself ill," resumed the voice. - -Then, turning round, Denise again found the Baudus behind her. Though -they thought Bourras so stupid, they also, despite themselves, ever -and ever returned to the contemplation of that spectacle which rent -their hearts. It was, so to say, a rageful desire to suffer. Geneviève, -very pale, had noticed that Colomban was watching the shadows of the -saleswomen pass to and fro on the first floor opposite; and, whilst -Baudu almost choked with suppressed rancour, Madame Baudu began -silently weeping. - -"You'll go and see, to-morrow, won't you, Denise?" asked the draper, -tormented with uncertainty, but feeling that his niece was conquered -like the rest. - -She hesitated, then gently replied: "Yes, uncle, unless it pains you -too much." - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - -The next morning, at half-past seven, Denise was outside The Ladies' -Paradise, wishing to call there before taking Jean to his new place, -which was a long way off, at the top of the Faubourg du Temple. But, -accustomed as she was to early hours, she had come down too soon; the -employees were barely arriving and, afraid of looking ridiculous, -overcome by timidity, she remained for a moment walking up and down the -Place Gaillon. - -The cold wind that blew had already dried the pavement. From all the -surrounding streets, illumined by a pale early light, falling from an -ashen sky, shopmen were hurriedly approaching with their coat-collars -turned up, and their hands in their pockets, taken unawares by this -first chill of winter. Most of them hurried along alone, and vanished -into the warehouse, without addressing a word or look to their -colleagues marching along around them. Others however came up in twos -and threes, talking fast, and monopolising the whole of the pavement; -and all, with a similar gesture, flung away their cigarettes or cigars -before crossing the threshold. - -Denise noticed that several of the gentlemen took stock of her in -passing. This increased her timidity; and she no longer had courage to -follow them, but resolved to wait till they had entered, blushing at -the mere idea of being elbowed at the door by all these men. However -the stream of salesmen still flowed on, and in order to escape their -looks, she took a walk round the Place. When she came back again, she -found a tall young man, pale and awkward, who appeared to be waiting -like herself. - -"I beg your pardon, mademoiselle," he finished by stammering, "but -perhaps you belong to the establishment?" - -She was so troubled at hearing a stranger address her that she did not -at first reply. - -"The fact is," he continued, getting more confused than ever, "I -thought of applying to see if I could get an engagement, and you might -have given me a little information." - -He was as timid as she was, and had probably risked speaking to her -because he divined that she was trembling like himself. - -"I would with pleasure, sir," she at last replied. "But I'm no better -off than you are; I'm just going to apply myself." - -"Ah, very good," said he, quite out of countenance. - -Thereupon they both blushed deeply, and still all timidity remained for -a moment face to face, affected by the striking similarity of their -positions yet not daring to openly express a desire for each other's -success. Then, as nothing further fell from either and both became more -and more uncomfortable, they parted awkwardly, and renewed their wait, -one on either side at a distance of a few steps. - -The shopmen continued to arrive, and Denise could now hear them joking -as they passed, casting side glances towards her. Her confusion -increased at finding herself thus on exhibition, and she had decided -to take half an hour's walk in the neighbourhood, when the sight of a -young man approaching rapidly by way of the Rue Port-Mahon, detained -her for another moment. He was probably the manager of a department, -thought she, for all the others raised their hats to him. Tall, with a -clear skin and carefully trimmed beard, he had eyes the colour of old -gold and of a velvety softness, which he fixed on her for a moment as -he crossed the Place. He was already entering the shop with an air of -indifference, while she remained motionless, quite upset by that glance -of his, filled indeed with a singular emotion, in which there was more -uneasiness than pleasure. Without doubt, fear was gaining on her, and, -to give herself time to collect her courage, she began slowly walking -down the Rue Gaillon, and then along the Rue Saint-Roch. - -The person who had so disturbed her was more than the manager of a -department, it was Octave Mouret in person. He had been making a night -of it, and his tightly buttoned overcoat concealed a dress suit and -white tie. In all haste he ran upstairs to his rooms, washed himself -and changed his clothes, and when he at last seated himself at his -table, in his private office on the first floor, he was at his ease -and full of strength, with bright eyes and cool skin, as ready for -work as if he had enjoyed ten hours' sleep. The spacious office, -furnished in old oak and hung with green rep, had but one ornament, the -portrait of that Madame Hédouin, who was still the talk of the whole -neighbourhood. Since her death Octave ever thought of her with tender -regret, grateful as he felt to her for the fortune she had bestowed on -him with her hand. And before commencing to sign the drafts laid upon -his blotting-pad he darted upon her portrait the contented smile of a -happy man. Was it not always before her that he returned to work, after -the escapades of his present single-blessedness? - -There came a knock however, and before Mouret could answer, a young -man entered, a tall, bony fellow, very gentlemanly and correct in -his appearance, with thin lips, a sharp nose and smooth hair already -showing signs of turning grey. Mouret raised his eyes, then whilst -still signing the drafts, remarked: - -"I hope you slept well, Bourdoncle?" - -"Very well, thanks," replied the young man, walking about as if he were -quite at home. - -Bourdoncle, the son of a poor farmer near Limoges, had begun his career -at The Ladies' Paradise at the same time as Mouret, when it only -occupied the corner of the Place Gaillon. Very intelligent and very -active, it then seemed as if he would easily supplant his comrade, who -was much less steady, and far too fond of love-affairs; but he had -neither the instinctive genius of the impassioned Southerner, nor his -audacity, nor his winning grace. Besides, by a wise instinct, he had, -from the first bowed before him, obedient without a struggle. When -Mouret had advised his people to put their money into the business, -Bourdoncle had been one of the first to do so, even investing in the -establishment the proceeds of an unexpected legacy left him by an aunt; -and little by little, after passing through all the various stages, -such as salesman, second, and then first-hand in the silk department, -he had become one of Octave's most cherished and influential -lieutenants, one of the six intéressés[1] who assisted him to govern -The Ladies' Paradise--forming something like a privy council under -an absolute king. Each one watched over a department or province. -Bourdoncle, for his part, exercised a general surveillance. - -[1] In the great Paris magasins de nouveautés such as the Louvre and -Bon Marché there have been at various stages numerous intéressés, that -is partners of a kind who whilst entitled to some share of the profits, -exercise but a strictly limited control in the management of the -establishment's affairs.--_Trans._ - -"And you," resumed he, familiarly, "have you slept Well?" - -When Mouret replied that he had not been to bed, he shook his head, -murmuring: "Bad habits." - -"Why?" replied the other, gaily. "I'm not so tired as you are, my dear -fellow. You are half asleep now, you lead too quiet a life. Take a -little amusement, that'll wake you up a bit." - -This was their constant friendly dispute. Bourdoncle who professed to -hate all women, contented himself with encouraging the extravagance -of the lady customers, feeling meantime the greatest disdain for -the frivolity which led them to ruin themselves in stupid gewgaws. -Mouret, on the contrary, affected to worship them, ever showed himself -delighted and cajoling in their presence and was ever embarking in -fresh love-affairs. This served, as it were, as an advertisement for -his business; and you might have said that he enveloped all women in -the same caress the better to bewilder them and keep them at his mercy. - -"I saw Madame Desforges last night, she was looking delicious at that -ball," said he, beginning to relate his evening experiences. But then, -abruptly breaking off, he took up another bundle of drafts, which he -began to sign whilst Bourdoncle continued to walk about, stepping -towards the lofty plate-glass windows whence he glanced into the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin. Then, retracing his steps, he suddenly exclaimed: -"You know they'll have their revenge." - -"Who will?" asked Mouret, who had lost the thread of the conversation. - -"Why, the women." - -At this, Mouret became quite merry, displaying, beneath his adorative -manner, his really brutal character. With a shrug of the shoulders he -seemed to declare he would throw them all over, like so many empty -sacks, as soon as they should have finished helping him to make his -fortune. But Bourdoncle in his frigid way obstinately repeated: "They -will have their revenge; there will be one who will some day avenge all -the others. It's bound to be." - -"No fear," cried Mouret, exaggerating his Southern accent. "That one -isn't born yet, my boy. And if she comes, you know, why there----" - -So saying he raised his penholder, brandishing it and pointing it in -the air, as if he were bent on stabbing some invisible heart with a -knife. Bourdoncle thereupon resumed his walk, bowing as usual before -the superiority of the governor, whose genius, with all its lapses, -disconcerted him. He, himself so clear-headed, logical and passionless, -incapable of falling into the toils of a syren, had yet to learn the -feminine character of success, all Paris yielding herself with a kiss -to her boldest assailant. - -A silence fell, broken only by the sound of Mouret's pen. Then, in -reply to his brief questions, Bourdoncle gave him various information -respecting of the great sale of winter novelties, which was to commence -on the following Monday. This was an important affair, the house was -risking its fortune in it; for the rumours of the neighbourhood had -some foundation, Mouret was throwing himself into speculation like -a poet, with such ostentation, such desire to attain the colossal, -that everything seemed likely to give way under him. It was quite a -new style of doing business, a seeming commercial phantasy which had -formerly made Madame Hédouin anxious, and even now, notwithstanding -certain successes, quite dismayed those who had capital in the -business. They blamed the governor in secret for going too quick; -accused him of having enlarged the establishment to a dangerous extent, -before making sure of a sufficient increase of custom; above all, they -trembled on seeing him put all the available cash into one venture, -filling the departments with a pile of goods without leaving a copper -in the reserve fund. Thus, for this winter sale, after the heavy sums -recently paid to the builders, the whole capital was exhausted and -it once more became a question of victory or death. Yet Mouret in -the midst of all this excitement, preserved a triumphant gaiety, a -certainty of gaining millions, like a man so worshipped by women, that -there could be no question of betrayal. When Bourdoncle ventured to -express certain fears with reference to the excessive development given -to several departments of doubtful profit he gave vent to a laugh full -of confidence, and exclaimed: - -"Pooh, pooh! my dear fellow, the place is still too small!" - -The other appeared dumbfounded, seized with a fear which he no longer -attempted to conceal. The house too small! an establishment which -comprised nineteen departments, and numbered four hundred and three -employees! - -"Of course," resumed Mouret, "we shall be obliged to enlarge our -premises again before another eighteen months are over. I'm seriously -thinking about the matter. Last night Madame Desforges promised to -introduce me to some one who may be useful. In short, we'll talk it -over when the idea is ripe." - -Then having finished signing his drafts, he rose, and tapped his -lieutenant on the shoulder in a friendly manner, but the latter could -not get over his astonishment. The fright displayed by the prudent -people around him amused Mouret. In one of those fits of brusque -frankness with which he sometimes overwhelmed his familiars, he -declared that he was at heart a greater Jew than all the Jews in the -world; he took, said he, after his father, whom he resembled physically -and morally, a fellow who knew the value of money; and, if his mother -had given him that dash of nervous fantasy which he displayed, it -was, perhaps, the principal element of his luck, for he felt that his -ability to dare everything was an invincible force. - -"Oh! You know very well that we'll stand by you to the last," -Bourdoncle finished by saying. - -Then, before going down into the shop to give their usual look round, -they settled certain other details. They examined a specimen of a -little book of account forms, which Mouret had just invented for the -use of his employees. Having remarked that the old-fashioned goods, -the dead stock, went off the more rapidly the higher the commission -allowed to the employees, he had based on this observation quite a -new system, that of interesting his people in the sale of all the -goods, giving them a commission on even the smallest piece of stuff, -the most trumpery article they sold. This innovation had caused quite -a revolution in the drapery trade, creating between the salespeople -a struggle for existence of which the masters reaped the benefits. -To foment this struggle was indeed Mouret's favourite method, the -principle which he constantly applied. He excited his employees' -passions, pitted one against the other, allowed the stronger to swallow -up the weaker ones, and for his own part battened on this struggle of -conflicting interests. The sample account book was duly approved of; -at the top of each leaf on both counterfoil and bill form, appeared -particulars of the department and the salesman's number; then also in -duplicate came columns for the measurement, the description of the -goods sold, and their price. The salesman simply signed the bill form -before handing it to the cashier; and in this way an easy account was -kept: it was only necessary to compare the bill-forms delivered by -the cashier's department to the clearing-house with the salesmen's -counterfoils. Every week the latter would receive their commission, -without any possibility of error. - -"We shan't be robbed so much," remarked Bourdoncle, with satisfaction. -"This was a very good idea of yours." - -"And I thought of something else last night," explained Mouret. "Yes, -my dear fellow, at supper. I have an idea of giving the clearing-house -clerks a little bonus for every error they detect while checking the -bills. You understand, eh? Like this we shall be sure that they won't -pass any, for rather than do that they'll be inventing mistakes!" - -He began to laugh, whilst the other looked at him admiringly. This new -application of the struggle-for-existence theory delighted Mouret; -he had a real genius for administrative functions, and dreamed of so -organizing the establishment as to trade upon the selfish instincts of -his employees, for the greater satisfaction of his own appetites. He -often said that to make people do their best, and even to keep them -fairly honest, it was first of all necessary to excite their selfish -desires. - -"Well, let's go downstairs," he resumed. "We must look after this sale. -The silk arrived yesterday, I believe, and Bouthemont must be getting -it in now." - -Bourdoncle followed him. The receiving office was in the basement on -the side of the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin. There, on a level with the -pavement, was a kind of glazed cage, into which the vans discharged the -goods. They were weighed, and then shot down a rapid slide, whose oak -and iron work was polished by the constant chaffing of bales and cases. -Everything entered by this yawning trap; it was a continuous swallowing -up, a niagara of goods, falling with a roar like that of a torrent. -At the approach of big sale times especially, the slide brought down -an endless stream of Lyons silks, English woollens, Flemish linens, -Alsatian calicoes, and Rouen prints. The vans were sometimes obliged to -wait their turn along the street; and as each bale rushed down to the -basement there arose a sound as of a stone thrown into deep water. - -On his way Mouret stopped for a moment before the slide, which was in -full activity. Rows of cases were coming down of themselves, falling -like rain from some upper stream. Then bales appeared, toppling over in -their descent like rolling stones. Mouret looked on, without saying a -word. But this wealth of goods rushing in to his establishment at the -rate of thousands of francs each minute, made his clear eyes glisten. -He had never before had such a clear, definite idea of the struggle he -was engaged in. It was this falling mountain of goods which he must -cast to the four corners of Paris. He did not open his mouth, however, -but continued his inspection. - -By the grey light which came in through the large vent-holes, a squad -of men were receiving the goods, whilst others removed the lids of the -cases and opened the bales in presence of the managers of different -departments. A dockyard kind of bustle filled this basement, whose -vaulted roofing was supported by wrought-iron pillars and whose bare -walls were simply cemented. - -"Have you got everything there, Bouthemont?" asked Mouret, approaching -a broad-shouldered young fellow who was checking the contents of a case. - -"Yes, everything seems all right," replied he, "but the counting will -take me all the morning." - -Then the manager of the silk department ran down an invoice he held, -standing the while before a large counter on which one of his salesmen -deposited, one by one, the pieces of silk which he took from an open -case. Behind them ran other counters, also littered with goods which -a small army of shopmen was examining. It was a general unpacking, a -seeming confusion of stuffs, inspected, turned over, and marked, amidst -a continuous buzz of voices. - -Bouthemont who was becoming a celebrity in the trade, had the round, -jovial face of a right good fellow, with a coal-black beard, and fine -hazel eyes. Born at Montpellier, noisy, and over fond of pleasure, -he was not of much good for the sales, but in buying he had not his -equal. Sent to Paris by his father, who kept a draper's shop in his -native town, he had absolutely refused to return home when the old -fellow, thinking that he ought to know enough to succeed him in his -business, had summoned him to do so; and from that moment a rivalry -had sprung up between father and son, the former, absorbed in his -little country business and shocked to see a simple shopman earning -three times as much as he did himself, and the latter joking at the -old man's humdrum routine, chinking his money, and throwing the whole -house into confusion at every flying visit he paid. Like the other -managers, Bouthemont drew, besides his three thousand francs regular -pay, a commission on the sales. Montpellier, surprised and respectful, -whispered that young Bouthemont had made fifteen thousand francs the -year before, and that that was only a beginning--people prophesied to -the exasperated father that this figure would certainly increase. - -Meantime Bourdoncle had taken up one of the pieces of silk, and was -examining the texture with the eye of a connoisseur. It was a faille -with a blue and silver selvage, the famous Paris Delight, with which -Mouret hoped to strike a decisive blow. - -"It is really very good," observed Bourdoncle. - -"And the effect it produces is better than its real quality," said -Bouthemont. "Dumonteil is the only one capable of manufacturing such -stuff. Last journey when I fell out with Gaujean, the latter was -willing to set a hundred looms to work on this pattern, but he asked -five sous a yard more." - -Nearly every month Bouthemont went to Lyons, staying there days -together, living at the best hôtels, with orders to treat the -manufacturers with open purse. He enjoyed, moreover, a perfect liberty, -and bought what he liked, provided that he increased the yearly -business of his department in a certain proportion, settled beforehand; -and it was on this proportion that his commission was based. In short, -his position at The Ladies' Paradise, like that of all the managers, -was that of a special tradesman, in a grouping of various businesses, a -sort of vast trading city. - -"So," resumed he, "it's decided we mark it at five francs twelve sous? -It's barely the cost price, you know." - -"Yes, yes, five francs twelve sous," said Mouret, quickly; "and if I -were alone, I'd sell it at a loss." - -The manager laughed heartily. "Oh! I don't mind, its cheapness will -treble the sales and my only interest is to secure heavy receipts---" - -But Bourdoncle remained grave, biting his lips. For his part he drew -his commission on the total profits, and it was not to his advantage -that the prices should be lowered. As it happened, a part of his -duties was to exercise a control over the prices fixed upon in order -to prevent Bouthemont from selling at too small a profit for the sole -purpose of increasing the sales. Moreover, all his former anxiety -reappeared in the presence of these advertising combinations which -he did not understand, and he ventured to display his repugnance by -remarking: - -"If we sell it at five francs twelve sous, it will be like selling it -at a loss, as we must allow for our expenses, which are considerable. -It would fetch seven francs anywhere." - -At this Mouret got angry. Striking the silk with his open hand he -exclaimed excitedly: "I know that, that's why I want to give it to our -customers. Really, my dear fellow, you'll never understand women's -ways. Don't you see that they'll fight together over this silk?" - -"No doubt," interrupted the other, obstinately, "and the more they buy, -the more we shall lose." - -"We shall lose a few sous on the stuff, very likely. But what can that -matter, if in return we attract all the women here, and keep them at -our mercy, fascinated, maddened by the sight of our goods, emptying -their purses without thinking? The principal thing, my dear fellow, is -to inflame them, and for that purpose you must have an article which -will flatter them and cause a sensation. Afterwards, you can sell the -other articles as dear as they are sold anywhere else, they'll still -think yours the cheapest. For instance, our Golden Grain, that taffetas -at seven francs and a half, sold everywhere at the same price, will go -down as an extraordinary bargain, and suffice to make up for the loss -on the Paris Delight. You'll see, you'll see!" - -He was becoming quite eloquent. "Don't you understand?" he resumed, -"In a week's time from to-day I want the Paris Delight to effect a -revolution in the market. It's our master-stroke, which will save us -and send our name everything. Nothing else will be talked of; that blue -and silver selvage will be known from one to the other end of France. -And you'll hear the furious complaints of our competitors. The small -traders will lose another wing by it. Yes, we shall have done for all -those slop-sellers who are dying of rheumatism in their cellars!" - -The shopmen checking the goods round-about were listening and smiling. -Mouret liked to talk in this way without contradiction. Bourdoncle -yielded once more. However, the case of silk was now empty and two men -were opening another. - -"It's the manufacturers who are vexed," now said Bouthemont. "At Lyons -they are all furious with you, they pretend that your cheap trading is -ruining them. You are aware that Gaujean has positively declared war -against me. Yes, he has sworn to give long credits to the little houses -rather than accept my prices." - -Mouret shrugged his shoulders. "If Gaujean doesn't behave sensibly," he -replied, "Gaujean will be floored. What do they all complain of? We pay -ready money and we take all they can make; it's strange if they can't -work cheaper at that rate. Besides, the public gets the benefit, and -that's everything." - -The shopman now began emptying the second case, whilst Bouthemont -checked the pieces by the invoice. Another employee at the end of -the counter then marked them in plain figures, and the checking -finished, the invoice, signed by the manager, had to be sent to the -chief cashier's office. For another minute Mouret continued looking -at the work, at all the activity around this unpacking of goods which -threatened to drown the basement; then, never adding a word but with -the air of a captain satisfied with his men, he went off, again -followed by Bourdoncle. - -They slowly crossed the basement floor. The air-holes placed at -intervals admitted a pale light; while in the dark corners, and -along the narrow corridors, gas was constantly burning. In these -corridors were the reserves, large vaults closed with iron railings, -containing the surplus goods of each department. As he passed along -Mouret glanced at the heating apparatus which was to be lighted -on the following Monday for the first time, and at the firemen -guarding a giant gas-meter enclosed in an iron cage. The kitchen and -dining-rooms, old cellars turned into habitable apartments, were on -the left near the corner of the Place Gaillon. At last, right at -the other end of the basement, he arrived at the delivery office. -Here, all the purchases which customers did not take away with them, -were sent down, sorted on tables, and placed in compartments each of -which represented a particular district of Paris; then by a large -staircase opening just opposite The Old Elbeuf, they were sent up to -the vans standing alongside the pavement. In the mechanical working -of The Ladies' Paradise, this staircase in the Rue de la Michodière -was ever disgorging the goods devoured by the slide in the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin, after they had passed through the mill of the -counters up above. - -"Campion," said Mouret to the delivery manager, a retired sergeant -with a thin face, "why weren't six pairs of sheets, bought by a lady -yesterday about two o'clock, delivered in the evening?" - -"Where does the lady live?" asked the employee. - -"In the Rue de Rivoli, at the corner of the Rue d'Alger--Madame -Desforges." - -At this early hour the sorting tables were yet bare and the -compartments only contained a few parcels left over night. Whilst -Campion was searching amongst these packets, after consulting a list, -Bourdoncle looked at Mouret, reflecting that this wonderful fellow knew -everything, thought of everything, even when he was supposed to be -amusing himself. At last Campion discovered the error; the cashiers' -department had given a wrong number, and the parcel had come back. - -"What is the number of the pay-desk that debited the order?" asked -Mouret: "No. 10, you say?" And turning towards his lieutenant, he -added: "No. 10; that's Albert, isn't it? We'll just say two words to -him." - -However, before starting on a tour round the shops, he wanted to go up -to the postal order department, which occupied several rooms on the -second floor. It was there that all the provincial and foreign orders -arrived; and he went up every morning to see the correspondence. For -two years this correspondence had been increasing daily. At first -occupying only a dozen clerks, it now required more than thirty. Some -opened the letters and others read them, seated on either side of the -same table; others again classified them, giving each one a running -number, which was repeated on a pigeon-hole. Then when the letters -had been distributed to the different departments and the latter had -delivered the articles ordered, these articles were placed in the -pigeon-holes as they arrived, in accordance with running numbers. -Nothing then remained but to check and pack them, which was done in a -neighbouring room by a squad of workmen who were nailing and tying up -from morning to night. - -Mouret put his usual question: "How many letters this morning, -Levasseur?" - -"Five hundred and thirty-four, sir," replied the chief clerk. "After -the new sale has begun on Monday, I'm afraid we sha'n't have enough -hands. Yesterday we were driven very hard." - -Bourdoncle expressed his satisfaction by a nod of the head. He had not -reckoned on five hundred and thirty-four letters arriving on a Tuesday. -Round the table, the clerks continued opening and reading the letters, -the paper rustling all the time, whilst before the pigeon-holes the -various articles ordered began to arrive. This was one of the most -complicated and important departments of the establishment, and the -rush was continual, for, strictly speaking, all the orders received in -the morning ought to be sent off the same evening. - -"You shall have whatever more hands you want," replied Mouret, who had -seen at a glance that the work of the department was well done. "When -there's work," he added, "we never refuse the men." - -Up above, under the roof, were the bedrooms occupied by the saleswomen. -However, Mouret went downstairs again and entered the chief cash -office, which was near his own. It was a room with a glazed partition -in which was a metal-work wicket, and it contained an enormous safe, -fixed in the wall. Two cashiers here centralised the receipts which -Lhomme, the chief cashier of the sales' service, brought in every -evening; and with these receipts they discharged the current expenses, -paid the manufacturers, the staff, all the people indeed who lived -by the house. Their office communicated with another, full of green -cardboard boxes, where some ten clerks checked the innumerable -invoices. Then came yet a third office, the clearing-house, so to say, -where six young men bending over black desks, with quite a collection -of registers behind them, made up the commission accounts of the -salesmen, by checking the debit notes. This department but recently -organized did not as yet work particularly well. - -Mouret and Bourdoncle crossed the cashier's office and the invoice -room and when they passed into the third office the young men there, -who were laughing and joking together, started with surprise. Mouret, -without reprimanding them, thereupon explained his scheme of giving -them a little bonus for each error they might detect in the debit -notes; and when he went out the clerks, quite cured of all inclination -for idle laughter, set to work in earnest, hunting for errors. - -On reaching the ground-floor, occupied by the shops, Mouret went -straight to pay-desk No. 10, where Albert Lhomme was polishing his -nails, pending the arrival of customers. People currently spoke of -"the Lhomme dynasty," since Madame Aurélie, first-hand in the mantle -department, after helping her husband to secure the post of chief -cashier, had further managed to get a pay desk for her son, a tall, -pale, vicious young man who had been unable to remain in any situation, -and had caused her an immense deal of anxiety. On reaching his desk, -Mouret, who never cared to render himself unpopular by performing -police duty, and from policy and taste preferred to play the part of a -benign Providence, retired into the back ground, after gently nudging -Bourdoncle with his elbow. It was Bourdoncle, the infallible and -impeccable, whom he generally charged with the duty of reprimanding. - -"Monsieur Albert," said Bourdoncle, severely, "you have again taken an -address wrong; the parcel has come back. It is unbearable!" - -The cashier, thinking it advisable to defend himself, called as a -witness the assistant who had tied up the packet. This assistant, named -Joseph, also belonged to the Lhomme dynasty, for he was Albert's foster -brother, and likewise owed his place to Madame Aurélie's influence. -Albert sought to make him say that the mistake had been made by the -customer herself, but all Joseph could do was to stutter and twist the -shaggy beard that ornamented his scarred face, struggling the while -between his conscience and his gratitude to his protectors. - -"Let Joseph alone," Bourdoncle exclaimed at last, "and don't say any -more. It's a lucky thing for you that we are mindful of your mother's -good services!" - -However, at this moment Lhomme senior came running up. From his office -near the door he could see his son's pay-desk, which was in the -glove department, and doubtless the colloquy had alarmed him. Quite -white-haired already, deadened by his sedentary life, he had a flabby, -colourless face, blanched and worn, as it were, by the reflection of -the money he was continually handling. The circumstance that he had -lost an arm did not at all incommode him in this work, and indeed -people would go to his office out of curiosity to see him verify -the receipts, so rapidly did the notes and coins slip through his -left hand, the only one remaining to him. The son of a tax-collector -at Chablis, he had come to Paris as clerk to a merchant of the -Port-aux-Vins. Then, whilst lodging in the Rue Cuvier, he had married -the daughter of his doorkeeper, a petty Alsatian tailor, and from that -day onward he had bowed submissively before his wife, whose commercial -ability filled him with respect. She now earned more than twelve -thousand francs a year in the mantle department, whilst he only drew -a fixed salary of five thousand francs. And the deference he felt for -this wife who brought such large sums into the household was extended -to their son, whom he also owed to her. - -"What's the matter?" he murmured; "is Albert in fault?" - -Then, according to his custom, Mouret reappeared on the scene, to play -the part of an indulgent prince. When Bourdoncle had made himself -feared, he looked after his own popularity. - -"Oh! nothing of consequence!" he answered. "My dear Lhomme, your son -Albert is a careless fellow, who should take an example from you." -Then, changing the subject, showing himself more amiable than ever, he -continued: "And by the way, how about that concert the other day--did -you get a good seat?" - -A blush spread over the white cheeks of the old cashier. Music was his -only vice, a secret vice which he indulged in solitarily, frequenting -theatres, concerts and recitals. Moreover, despite the loss of his arm, -he played on the French horn, thanks to an ingenious system of claws; -and as Madame Lhomme detested noise, before playing his instrument of -an evening he would wrap it in cloth, and then draw from it all sorts -of weird muffled sounds which delighted him to the point of ecstasy. -In the forced irregularity of their domestic life he had made himself -an oasis of his passion for music--that, his cash receipts and his -admiration for his wife, summed up his whole existence. - -"A very good seat," he replied with sparkling eyes. "You are really too -kind, sir." - -Mouret, who took a personal pleasure in satisfying other people's -passions, sometimes gave Lhomme the tickets forced upon him by lady -patronesses and he put the finishing touch to the old man's delight -by remarking: "Ah, Beethoven! ah, Mozart! What music!" Then, without -waiting for a reply, he went off, rejoining Bourdoncle, who had already -started on his tour of inspection through the departments. - -In the central hall--an inner courtyard with a glass roof--was the -silk department. At first Mouret and his companion turned into the -Rue-Saint-Augustin gallery occupied by the linen department, from one -end to the other. Nothing unusual striking them, they passed on slowly -through the crowd of respectful assistants. Next they turned into the -cotton and hosiery departments, where the same good order reigned. But -in the department devoted to woollens, occupying the gallery which -ran towards the Rue de la Michodière, Bourdoncle resumed the part of -executioner, on observing a young man seated on the counter, looking -quite knocked up by a sleepless night; and this young man, a certain -Liénard, son of a rich Angers draper, bowed his head beneath the -reprimand, for in the idle, careless life of pleasure which he led his -one great fear was that he might be recalled from Paris by his father. -And now reprimands began to shower down on all sides like hail, and -quite a storm burst in the gallery of the Rue de la Michodière. In the -drapery department a salesman, a fresh hand, who slept in the house, -had come in after eleven o'clock and in the haberdashery department, -the second counterman had allowed himself to be caught smoking a -cigarette downstairs. But the tempest attained its greatest violence -in the glove department, where it fell upon one of the few Parisians -in the house, handsome Mignot, as he was called, the illegitimate son -of a music-mistress. His crime was that of causing a scandal in the -dining-room by complaining of the food. As there were three tables, -one at half-past nine, one at half-past ten, and another at half-past -eleven, he wished to explain that, belonging as he did to the third -table, he always had the leavings, the worst of everything for his -share. - -"What! the food not good?" asked Mouret, with a naive air, opening his -mouth at last. - -He only allowed the chief cook, a terrible Auvergnat, a franc and a -half a head per day, out of which small sum this man still contrived -to make a good profit; and indeed the food was really execrable. -But Bourdoncle shrugged his shoulders: a cook who had four hundred -luncheons and four hundred dinners to serve, even in three series, had -no time to waste on the refinements of his art. - -"Never mind," said the governor, good-naturedly, "I wish all our -employees to have good and abundant food. I'll speak to the cook." And -thus Mignot's complaint was shelved. - -Then returning to their point of departure, standing near the door, -amidst the umbrellas and neckties, Mouret and Bourdoncle received the -report of one of the four inspectors, who were charged with the police -service of the establishment. The inspector in question, old Jouve, a -retired captain, decorated for his bravery at Constantine and still a -fine-looking man with his big sensual nose and majestic baldness, drew -their attention to a salesman, who, in reply to a simple remonstrance -on his part, had called him "an old humbug," and the salesman was -immediately discharged. - -Meantime, the shop was still without customers, that is, except a few -housewives of the neighbourhood who were passing through the almost -deserted galleries. At the door the time-keeper had just closed his -book, and was making out a separate list of the late arrivals. The -salesmen on their side were taking possession of their departments, -which had been swept and brushed by the assistants before their -arrival. Each young man put away his hat and over-coat as he arrived, -stifling a yawn, still half asleep as he did so. Some exchanged a few -words, gazed about the shop and sought to pull themselves together for -another day's work; while others leisurely removed the green baize -with which they had covered the goods over night, after folding them -up. Then the piles of stuffs appeared symmetrically arranged, and the -whole shop looked clean and orderly, brilliant in the gay morning light -pending the rush of business which would once more obstruct it, and, as -it were, reduce its dimensions by the unpacking and display of linen, -cloth, silk, and lace. - -In the bright light of the central hall, two young men were talking in -a low voice at the silk counter. One of them, short but well set and -good looking, with a pinky skin, was endeavouring to blend the colours -of some silks for an indoor show. His name was Hutin, his father kept -a café at Yvetot, and after eighteen months' service he had managed to -become one of the principal salesmen, thanks to a natural flexibility -of character and a continual flow of caressing flattery, under which -were concealed furious appetites which prompted him to grasp at -everything and devour everybody just for the pleasure of the thing. - -"Well, Favier, I should have struck him if I had been in your place, -honour bright!" said he to his companion, a tall bilious fellow with a -dry yellow skin, who had been born at Besançon of a family of weavers, -and concealed under a cold graceless exterior a disquieting force of -will. - -"It does no good to strike people," he murmured, phlegmatically; -"better wait." - -They were both speaking of Robineau, the "second" in the department, -who was looking after the shopmen during the manager's absence in -the basement. Hutin was secretly undermining Robineau, whose place -he coveted. To wound him and induce him to leave, he had already -introduced Bouthemont to fill the post of manager which had been -previously promised to Robineau. However, the latter stood firm, -and it was now an hourly battle. Hutin dreamed of setting the whole -department against him, of hounding him out by dint of ill-will and -vexation. Still he went to work craftily, ever preserving his amiable -air. And it was especially Favier whom he strove to excite against -the "second"--Favier, who stood next to himself as salesman, and who -appeared willing to be led, though he had certain brusque fits of -reserve by which one could divine that he was bent on some private -campaign of his own. - -"Hush! seventeen!" he all at once hastily remarked to his colleague, -intending by this peculiar exclamation to warn him of the approach of -Mouret and Bourdoncle. These two, still continuing their inspection, -were now traversing the hall and stopped to ask Robineau for an -explanation respecting a stock of velvets, the boxes of which were -encumbering a table. And as Robineau replied that there wasn't enough -room to store things away, Mouret exclaimed with a smile: - -"Ah! I told you so, Bourdoncle, the place is already too small. We -shall soon have to knock down the walls as far as the Rue de Choiseul. -You'll see what a crush there'll be next Monday." - -Then, respecting the coming sale, for which they were preparing at -every counter, he asked further questions of Robineau and gave him -various orders. For some minutes however, whilst still talking, he had -been watching Hutin, who was slowly arranging his silks--placing blue, -grey, and yellow side by side and then stepping back to judge of the -harmony of the tints. And all at once Mouret interfered: "But why are -you endeavouring to please the eye?" he asked. "Don't be afraid; blind -the customers! This is the style. Look! red, green, yellow." - -While speaking he had taken up some of the pieces of silk, throwing -them together, crumpling them and producing an extremely violent effect -of colour. Every one allowed the governor to be the best "dresser" in -Paris albeit one of a revolutionary stamp, an initiator of the brutal -and the colossal in the science of display. His fancy was a tumbling -of stuffs, heaped pell-mell as if they had fallen by chance from the -bursting boxes, and glowing with the most ardent contrasting colours, -which heightened each other's intensity. The customers, said he, ought -to feel their eyes aching by the time they left the shop. Hutin, who on -the contrary belonged to the classic school whose guiding principles -were symmetry and a melodious blending of shades, watched him lighting -this conflagration of silk on the table, without venturing to say a -word; but on his lips appeared the pout of an artist whose convictions -were sorely hurt by such a debauch of colour. - -"There!" exclaimed Mouret, when he had finished. - -"Leave it as it is; you'll see if it doesn't fetch the women on Monday." - -Just then, as he rejoined Bourdoncle and Robineau, there arrived a -woman, who stopped short, breathless at sight of this show. It was -Denise, who, after waiting for nearly an hour in the street, a prey to -a violent attack of timidity, had at last decided to enter. But she -was so beside herself with bashfulness that she mistook the clearest -directions; and the shopmen, of whom in stammering accents she asked -for Madame Aurélie, in vain directed her to the staircase conducting -to the first floor; she thanked them, but turned to the left if they -told her to turn to the right; so that for the last ten minutes she -had been wandering about the ground-floor, going from department to -department, amidst the ill-natured curiosity and boorish indifference -of the salesmen. She longed to run away, but was at the same time -retained by a wish to stop and admire. She felt herself lost, so little -in this monstrous place, this machine which was still at rest, and -trembled with fear lest she should be caught in the movement with which -the walls already began to quiver. And in her mind the thought of The -Old Elbeuf, so black and narrow, increased the immensity of this vast -establishment, which seemed bathed in a golden light and similar to -a city with its monuments, squares, and streets, in which it seemed -impossible she should ever find her way. - -However, she had previously not dared to venture into the silk hall -whose high glass roof, luxurious counters, and cathedral-like aspect -frightened her. Then when she did venture in, to escape the shopmen of -the linen department, who were grinning at her, she stumbled right on -Mouret's display; and, despite her bewilderment, the woman was aroused -within her, her cheeks suddenly flushed, and she forgot everything in -looking at the glow of this conflagration of silk. - -"Hullo!" said Hutin in Favier's ear; "there's the drab we saw on the -Place Gaillon." - -Mouret, whilst affecting to listen to Bourdoncle and Robineau, was -at heart flattered by the startled look of this poor girl, just as a -marchioness might be by the brutal admiration of a passing drayman. But -Denise had raised her eyes, and her confusion increased at the sight -of this young man, whom she took for the manager of a department. She -thought he was looking at her severely. Then not knowing how to get -away, quite lost, she once more applied to the nearest shopman, who -happened to be Favier. - -"Madame Aurélie, if you please?" - -However Favier, who was disagreeable, contented himself with replying -sharply: "On the first floor." - -Then, Denise, longing to escape the looks of all these men, thanked -him, and was again turning her back to the stairs she ought to have -ascended when Hutin, yielding naturally to his instinctive gallantry, -stopped her with his most amiable salesman's smile albeit he had just -spoken of her as a drab. - -"No--this way, mademoiselle, if you please," said he. - -And he even went with her a little way, as far indeed as the foot of -the staircase on the left-hand side of the hall. There he bowed, and -smiled at her, as he smiled at all women. - -"When you get upstairs turn to the left," he added. "The mantle -department will then be in front of you." - -This caressing politeness affected Denise deeply. It was like a -brotherly hand extended to her; she raised her eyes and looked at -Hutin, and everything in him touched her--his handsome face, his -smiling look which dissolved her fears, and his voice which seemed to -her of a consoling softness. Her heart swelled with gratitude, and she -gave him her friendship in the few disjointed words which her emotion -allowed her to utter. - -"Really, sir, you are too kind. Pray don't trouble to come any further. -Thank you very much." - -Hutin was already rejoining Favier, to whom he coarsely whispered: -"What a bag of bones--eh?" - -Upstairs the young girl suddenly found herself in the midst of the -mantle department. It was a vast room, with high carved oak cupboards -all round it and clear glass windows overlooking the Rue de la -Michodière. Five or six women in silk dresses, looking very coquettish -with their frizzy chignons and crinolines drawn back, were moving -about and talking. One of them, tall and thin, with a long head, and -a run-away-horse appearance, was leaning against a cupboard, as if -already knocked up with fatigue. - -"Madame Aurélie?" inquired Denise. - -The saleswoman did not reply but looked at her, with an air of disdain -for her shabby dress; then turning to one of her companions, a short -girl with a sickly white skin and an innocent and disgusted expression -of countenance, she asked: "Mademoiselle Vadon, do you know where -Madame Aurélie is?" - -The girl, who was arranging some mantles according to their sizes, -did not even take the trouble to raise her head. "No, Mademoiselle -Prunaire, I don't know at all," she replied in a mincing tone. - -Silence fell. Denise stood still, and no one took any further notice -of her. However, after waiting a moment, she ventured to put another -question: "Do you think Madame Aurélie will be back soon?" - -Thereupon, the second-hand, a thin, ugly woman, whom she had not -noticed before, a widow with a projecting jaw-bone and coarse hair, -cried out from a cupboard, board, where she was checking some tickets: -"You'd better wait if you want to speak to Madame Aurélie herself." -And, addressing another saleswoman, she added: "Isn't she downstairs?" - -"No, Madame Frédéric, I don't think so," was the reply. "She said -nothing before going, so she can't be far off." - -Denise, thus meagrely informed, remained standing. There were several -chairs for the customers; but as she had not been asked to sit down, -she did not dare to take one although her perturbation well nigh -deprived her legs of strength. All these young ladies had evidently -guessed that she was an applicant for the vacancy, and were taking -stock of her, ill-naturedly pulling her to pieces with the secret -hostility of people at table who do not like to close up to make room -for hungry outsiders. Then Denise's confusion increasing, she slowly -crossed the room and looked out of the window into the street, for the -purpose of keeping countenance. Over the way, The Old Elbeuf, with -its rusty front and lifeless windows, appeared to her so ugly and so -wretched, thus viewed from amidst the luxury and life of her present -standpoint, that a sort of remorse filled her already swollen heart -with grief. - -"I say," whispered tall Mdlle. Prunaire to little Mdlle. Vadon, "have -you seen her boots?" - -"And her dress!" murmured the other. - -With her eyes still turned towards the street, Denise divined that -she was being devoured. But she was not angry; she did not think -them handsome, neither the tall one with her carroty chignon falling -over her horse-like neck, nor the little one with her curdled-milk -complexion, which gave her flat and, as it were, boneless face a flabby -appearance. Clara Prunaire, daughter of a clogmaker of the woods of -Vivet had begun to misconduct herself at the time when she was employed -as needlewoman at the Château de Mareuil. Later on she had come to -Paris from a shop at Langres, and was avenging herself in the capital -for all the kicks with which her father had regaled her when at home. -On the other hand Marguerite Vadon, born at Grenoble, where her parents -kept a linen shop, had been obliged to come to Paris, where she had -entered The Ladies' Paradise, in order to conceal a misfortune due to -her frailty. Since then, however, she had ever been a well-conducted -girl, and intended to return to Grenoble to take charge of her parents' -shop, and marry a cousin who was waiting for her. - -"Ah! well," resumed Clara, in a low voice, "that girl won't be of much -account here even if she does get in." - -But they all at once stopped talking, for a woman of about forty-five -was coming in. It was Madame Aurélie, very stout and tightly laced in -her black silk dress, the body of which, strained over her massive -shoulders and full bust, shone like a piece of armour. Under dark folds -of hair, she had big fixed eyes, a severe mouth, and broad and rather -drooping cheeks; and in the majesty of her position as manageress her -face seemed to swell with pride like the puffy countenance of a Cæsar. - -"Mademoiselle Vadon," said she, in an irritated voice, "you didn't -return the pattern of that mantle to the workroom yesterday, it seems?" - -"There was an alteration to be made, madame," replied the saleswoman, -"so Madame Frédéric kept it." - -The second-hand thereupon took the pattern out of a cupboard, and the -explanation continued. Every one gave way to Madame Aurélie, when she -thought it expedient to assert her authority. Very vain, even to the -point of objecting to be called by her husband's name, Lhomme, which -annoyed her, and of denying the humble position of her father to whom -she always referred as a regularly established tailor, she only proved -gracious towards those young ladies who showed themselves flexible and -caressing and bowed down in admiration before her. Formerly, whilst -trying to establish herself in a shop of her own, her temper had been -soured by continual bad luck; the feeling that she was born to fortune -and encountered nothing but a series of catastrophes had exasperated -her; and now, even after her success at The Ladies' Paradise, where -she earned twelve thousand francs a year, it seemed as if she still -nourished a secret spite against every one. She was in particular very -hard with beginners, even as life had shown itself hard for her at -first. - -"That will do!" said she, sharply; "You are not more reasonable than -the others, Madame Frédéric. Let the alteration be made immediately." - -During this explanation, Denise had ceased looking into the street. -She had no doubt this was Madame Aurélie; but, frightened by her sharp -voice, she remained standing, still waiting. The two saleswomen, -delighted to have set their two superiors at variance, had returned to -their work with an air of profound indifference. A few minutes elapsed, -nobody being charitable enough to extricate the young girl from her -uncomfortable position. At last, Madame Aurélie herself perceived her, -and astonished to see her standing there motionless inquired what she -wanted. - -"Madame Aurélie, please." - -"I am Madame Aurélie." - -Denise's mouth was dry and parched, her hands were cold; she felt -some such fear as when she was a child and trembled at the thought of -being whipped. At last she stammered out her request, but was obliged -to repeat it to make herself understood. Madame Aurélie gazed upon -her with her large fixed eyes, not a line of her imperial countenance -deigning to relax. - -"How old are you?" she eventually inquired. - -"Twenty, madame." - -"What, twenty years old? you don't look sixteen!" - -The saleswomen again raised their heads. Denise hastened to add: "Oh, -I'm very strong!" - -Madame Aurélie shrugged her broad shoulders and then coldly remarked: -"Well! I don't mind entering your name. We enter the names of all who -apply. Mademoiselle Prunaire, give me the book." - -But the book could not be found; Jouve, the inspector, had probably got -it. And just as tall Clara was about to fetch it, Mouret arrived, still -followed by Bourdoncle. They had made the tour of the other departments -on the first floor--they had passed through the lace, the shawls, the -furs, the furniture and the under-linen, and were now winding up with -the mantles. Madame Aurélie left Denise for a moment to speak to them -about an order for some cloaks which she thought of giving to one of -the large Paris houses. As a rule, she bought direct, and on her own -responsibility; but, for important purchases, she preferred to consult -the chiefs of the house. Bourdoncle then told her of her son Albert's -latest act of carelessness, which seemed to fill her with despair. -That boy would kill her; his father, although not a man of talent, was -at least well-conducted, careful, and honest. All this dynasty of the -Lhommes, of which she was the acknowledged head, very often caused her -a great deal of trouble. However, Mouret, surprised to come upon Denise -again, bent down to ask Madame Aurélie what that young person was doing -there; and, when the first-hand replied that she was applying for a -saleswoman's situation, Bourdoncle, with his disdain for women, seemed -suffocated by such pretension. - -"You don't mean it," he murmured; "it must be a joke, she's too ugly!" - -"The fact is, there's nothing handsome about her," replied Mouret, not -daring to defend her, although he was still moved by the rapture she -had displayed downstairs before his arrangement of the silks. - -However, the book having been brought, Madame Aurélie returned to -Denise, who had certainly not made a favourable impression. She looked -very clean in her thin black woollen dress; still the question of -shabbiness was of no importance, as the house furnished a uniform, -the regulation silk dress; but she appeared weak and puny, and had a -melancholy face. Without insisting on handsome girls, the managers -of the house liked their assistants to be of agreeable appearance. -And beneath the gaze of all the men and women who were studying her, -estimating her like farmers would a horse at a fair, Denise lost what -little countenance had still remained to her. - -"Your name?" asked Madame Aurélie, standing at the end of a counter, -pen in hand, ready to write. - -"Denise Baudu, madame." - -"Your age?" - -"Twenty years and four months." And risking a glance at Mouret, at this -supposed manager, whom she met everywhere and whose presence troubled -her so much, she repeated: "I don't look like it, but I am really very -strong." - -They smiled. Bourdoncle showed evident signs of impatience; her remark -fell, moreover, amidst a most discouraging silence. - -"What establishment have you been at, in Paris?" resumed Madame Aurélie. - -"I've just arrived from Valognes, madame." - -This was a fresh disaster. As a rule, The Ladies' Paradise only engaged -as saleswomen such girls as had had a year's experience in one of the -small houses in Paris. Denise thought all was lost; and, had it not -been for the children, had she not been obliged to work for them, she -would have brought this futile interrogatory to an end by leaving the -place. - -"Where were you at Valognes?" asked Madame Aurélie. - -"At Cornaille's." - -"I know him--good house," remarked Mouret. - -It was very seldom that he interfered in the engagement of the -employees, the manager of each department being responsible for his -or her staff. But with his fine appreciation of women, he divined in -this girl a hidden charm, a wealth of grace and tenderness of which she -herself was ignorant. The good reputation of the establishment in which -the candidate had started was of great importance, often deciding the -question in his or her favour. Thus even Madame Aurélie continued in a -kinder tone: "And why did you leave Cornaille's?" - -"For family reasons," replied Denise, turning scarlet. "We have lost -our parents, I have been obliged to follow my brothers. Here is a -certificate." - -It was excellent. Her hopes were reviving, when another question -troubled her. - -"Have you any other references in Paris? Where do you live?" - -"At my uncle's," she murmured, hesitating to name him for she feared -that they would never engage the niece of a competitor. "At my uncle -Baudu's, opposite." - -At this, Mouret interfered a second time. "What! are you Baudu's -niece?" said he, "is it Baudu who sent you here?" - -"Oh! no, sir!" answered Denise; and she could not help laughing as she -spoke for the idea appeared to her so singular. That laugh was like a -transfiguration; she became quite rosy, and the smile playing round her -rather large mouth lighted up her whole face. Her grey eyes sparkled -with a soft flame, her cheeks filled with delicious dimples, and even -her light hair seemed to partake of the frank and courageous gaiety -that pervaded her whole being. - -"Why, she's really pretty," whispered Mouret to Bourdoncle. - -The latter with a gesture of boredom refused to admit it. Clara on her -side bit her lips, and Marguerite turned away; Madame Aurélie alone -seemed won over, and encouraged Mouret with a nod when he resumed: -"Your uncle was wrong not to bring you here; his recommendation -sufficed. It is said he has a grudge against us. We are people of -more liberal minds, and if he can't find employment for his niece in -his house, why we will show him that she has only had to knock at our -door to be received. Just tell him I still like him very much, and -that if he has cause for complaint he must blame, not me, but the new -circumstances of commerce. Tell him, too, that he will ruin himself if -he insists on keeping to his ridiculous old-fashioned ways." - -Denise turned quite white again. It was Mouret; no one had mentioned -his name, but he revealed himself, and she guessed who he was, and -understood why the sight of him had caused her such emotion in the -street, in the silk department, and again here. This emotion, which -she could not analyze, pressed more and more upon her heart like an -unbearable weight. All the stories related by her uncle came back to -her, increasing Mouret's importance in her eyes, surrounding him with -a sort of halo in his capacity as the master of the terrible machine -between whose wheels she had felt herself all the morning. And, behind -his handsome face, with its well-trimmed beard, and eyes the colour of -old gold, she beheld the dead woman, that Madame Hédouin, whose blood -had helped to cement the stones of the house. The shiver she had felt -the previous night again came upon her; and she thought she was merely -afraid of him. - -However, Madame Aurélie had closed the book. She only wanted one -saleswoman, and she already had ten applications. True, she was too -anxious to please the governor to hesitate for a moment, still the -application would follow its course, inspector Jouve would go and make -inquiries, send in his report, and then she would come to a decision. - -"Very good, mademoiselle," said she majestically, as though to preserve -her authority; "we will write to you." - -Denise stood there, unable to move for a moment, hardly knowing how to -take her leave in the midst of all these people. At last she thanked -Madame Aurélie, and on passing Mouret and Bourdoncle, she bowed. The -gentlemen, however, were examining the pattern of a mantle with Madame -Frédéric and took no further notice of her. Clara looked in a vexed way -towards Marguerite, as if to predict that the new-comer would not have -a very pleasant time of it in the establishment. Denise doubtless felt -this indifference and rancour behind her, for she went downstairs with -the same troubled feeling that had possessed her on going up, asking -herself whether she ought to be sorry or glad at having come. Could she -count on having the situation? She doubted it, amidst the uneasiness -which had prevented her from clearly understanding what had been said. -Of her various sensations, two remained and gradually effaced all -others--the emotion, almost fear, with which Mouret had inspired her, -and the pleasure she had derived from the amiability of Hutin, the only -pleasure she had enjoyed the whole morning, a souvenir of charming -sweetness which filled her with gratitude. When she crossed the shop on -her way out she looked for the young man, happy in the idea of thanking -him again with her eyes, and she was very sorry not to see him. - -"Well, mademoiselle, have you succeeded?" inquired a timid voice, as -she at last reached the pavement. She turned round and recognised the -tall, awkward young fellow who had spoken to her in the morning. He -also had just come out of The Ladies' Paradise, and seemed even more -frightened than herself, still bewildered by the examination through -which he had just passed. - -"I really don't know as yet, sir," she replied. - -"You're like me, then. What a way they have of looking at you and -talking to you in there--eh? I'm applying for a place in the lace -department. I was at Crevecœur's in the Rue du Mail." - -They were once more standing face to face; and, not knowing how to take -leave, they again began to blush. Then the young man, by way of saying -something, timidly ventured to ask in his good-natured, awkward way: -"What is your name, mademoiselle?" - -"Denise Baudu." - -"My name is Henri Deloche." - -Then they smiled, and, yielding to a fraternal feeling born of the -similarity of their positions, shook each other by the hand. - -"Good luck!" said Deloche. - -"Yes, good luck!" was Denise's reply. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - -Every Saturday, between four and six, Madame Desforges offered a cup -of tea and a few sweet biscuits to those friends who were kind enough -to visit her. She occupied the third floor of a house at the corner -of the Rue de Rivoli and the Rue d'Alger; and the windows of her two -drawing-rooms overlooked the gardens of the Tuileries. - -That Saturday, just as a footman was about to introduce him into the -principal drawing-room, Mouret from the anteroom perceived, through -an open doorway, Madame Desforges crossing the smaller salon. She -stopped on seeing him, and he went in that way, bowing to her with a -ceremonious air. But when the footman had closed the door, he quickly -caught hold of the young woman's hand, and tenderly kissed it. - -"Take care, I have company!" she remarked, in a low voice, glancing -towards the door of the larger room. "I've just come to fetch this fan -to show them," and so saying she playfully tapped him on the face with -the tip of the fan she held. She was dark and inclined to stoutness, -and had big jealous eyes. - -However, he still held her hand and inquired: "Will he come?" - -"Certainly," she replied: "I have his promise." - -They both referred to Baron Hartmann, the director of the Crédit -Immobilier. Madame Desforges, daughter of a Councillor of State, was -the widow of a speculator, who had left her a fortune, underrated -to the point of nothingness by some and greatly over-estimated by -others. During her husband's lifetime she had already known Baron -Hartmann, whose financial tips had proved very useful to them; and -later on, after her husband's death, the connection had been kept up -in a discreet fashion; for she never courted notoriety in any way, -and was received everywhere in the upper-middle class to which she -belonged. Even now too when she had other lovers--the passion of the -banker, a sceptical, crafty man, having subsided into a mere paternal -affection--she displayed such delicate reserve and tact, such adroit -knowledge of the world that appearances were saved, and no one would -have ventured to openly express any doubt of her conduct. Having met -Mouret at a mutual friend's she had at first detested him; but had -been carried away by the violent love which he professed for her, and -since he had begun manœuvring to approach Baron Hartmann through her, -she had gradually got to love him with real and profound tenderness, -adoring him with all the violence of a woman of thirty-five, who only -acknowledged the age of twenty-nine, and distressed at feeling him -younger than herself, which made her tremble lest she should lose him. - -"Does he know about it?" he resumed. - -"No, you'll explain the affair to him yourself," was her reply. - -Meantime she looked at him, reflecting that he couldn't know anything -or he would not employ her in this way with the baron, whom he appeared -to consider simply as an old friend of hers. However, Mouret still held -her hand and called her his good Henriette, at which she felt her heart -melting. Then silently she presented her lips, pressed them to his, and -whispered: "Remember they're waiting for me. Come in behind me." - -A murmur of voices, deadened by the heavy hangings, came from the -principal drawing-room. Madame Desforges went in, leaving the folding -doors open behind her, and handed the fan to one of the four ladies who -were seated in the middle of the room. - -"There it is," said she; "I didn't know exactly where it was. My maid -would never have found it." And turning round she added in her cheerful -way: "Come in, Monsieur Mouret, come through the little drawing-room; -it will be less solemn." - -Mouret bowed to the ladies, whom he knew. The drawing-room, with its -Louis XVI. furniture upholstered in flowered brocatel, its gilded -bronzes and large green plants, had a pleasant, cozy, feminine aspect, -albeit the ceiling was so lofty; and through the two windows could be -seen the chestnut trees of the Tuileries Gardens, whose leaves were -blowing about in the October wind. - -"But this Chantilly isn't at all bad!" exclaimed Madam Bourdelais, who -had taken the fan. - -She was a short fair woman of thirty, with a delicate nose and -sparkling eyes. A former school-fellow of Henriette's, married to -a chief clerk at the Ministry of Finances, and belonging to an old -middle-class family, she managed her household and three children with -rare activity, good grace, and exquisite knowledge of practical life. - -"And you paid twenty-five francs for it?" she resumed, examining each -mesh of the lace. "At Luc, I think you said, to a country-woman? No, it -isn't dear; still you had to get it mounted, hadn't you?" - -"Of course," replied Madame Desforges. "The mounting cost me two -hundred francs." - -Madame Bourdelais began to laugh. And that was what Henriette called a -bargain! Two hundred francs for a plain ivory mount, with a monogram! -And that for a mere piece of Chantilly, over which she had perhaps -saved five francs. Similar fans could be had, ready mounted, for a -hundred and twenty francs, and she named a shop in the Rue Poissonnière -where she had seen them. - -However, the fan was handed round to all the ladies. Madame Guibal -barely glanced at it. She was a tall, slim woman, with red hair, and -a face full of indifference, in which her grey eyes, belying her -unconcerned air, occasionally cast a hungry gleam of selfishness. She -was never seen out with her husband, a barrister well-known at the -Palais de Justice, who led, it was said, a pretty free life between his -briefs and his pleasures. - -"Oh," she murmured, passing the fan to Madame de Boves, "I've scarcely -bought one in my life. One always receives too many of such things." - -"You are fortunate, my dear, in having a gallant husband," answered the -countess in a tone of delicate irony. And bending over to her daughter, -a tall girl of twenty, she added: "Just look at the monogram, Blanche. -What pretty work! It's the monogram that must have increased the price -of the mounting like that." - -Madame de Boves had just turned forty. She was a superb woman, with the -neck and shoulders of a goddess, a large regular face, and big sleepy -eyes. Her husband, an Inspector-General of the State Studs, had married -her for her beauty. She appeared quite moved by the delicacy of the -monogram, seized indeed by a desire which so stirred her as to make her -turn pale; and suddenly turning she continued: "Give us your opinion, -Monsieur Mouret. Is it too dear--two hundred francs for this mount?" - -Mouret had remained standing among the five women, smiling and -affecting an interest in what interested them. He took the fan, -examined it, and was about to give his opinion, when the footman opened -the door and announced: - -"Madame Marty." - -There then entered a thin, ugly woman, disfigured by small-pox but -dressed with elaborate elegance. She seemed of uncertain age, her -five-and-thirty years sometimes appearing equal to thirty, and -sometimes to forty, according to the intensity of the nervous fever -which so often agitated her. A red leather bag, which she had not been -willing to leave in the anteroom, hung from her right hand. - -"Dear madame," said she to Henriette, "you will excuse me bringing -my bag. Just fancy, as I was coming, along I went into The Paradise, -and as I have again been very extravagant, I did not like to leave -it in my cab for fear of being robbed." Then, having perceived -Mouret, she resumed laughing: "Ah! sir, I didn't mean to give you an -advertisement, for I didn't know you were here. But you really have -some extraordinarily fine lace just now." - -This turned the attention from the fan, which the young man laid on -the table. The ladies were now all anxious to see what Madame Marty -had bought. She was known to be very extravagant, totally unable to -resist certain temptations. Strict in her conduct, incapable of any -sexual transgression she proved weak and cowardly before the least -bit of finery. Daughter of a clerk of small means, she was ruining -her husband, the fifth-class professor at the Lycée Bonaparte, who in -order to meet the constantly increasing expenses of the household was -compelled to double his income of six thousand francs by giving private -lessons. However, she did not open her bag, but held it tightly on her -lap, and began to talk about her daughter Valentine, a girl of fourteen -whom she dressed like herself, in all the fashionable novelties to -whose irresistible fascination she succumbed. - -"You know," said she, "they are making girls' dresses trimmed with -narrow lace this winter. So when I saw a very pretty Valenciennes----" - -Thereupon she at last decided to open her bag; and the ladies were -craning their necks, when, amidst the silence, the door-bell was heard. - -"It's my husband," stammered Madame Marty, in great confusion. "He -promised to call for me on leaving the Lycée Bonaparte." - -Forthwith she shut her bag again, and instinctively hid it away under -her chair. All the ladies set up a laugh. This made her blush for her -precipitation, and she took the bag on her knees again, explaining, -however, that men never understood matters and that they need not know -everything. - -"Monsieur de Boves, Monsieur de Vallagnosc," announced the footman. - -It was quite a surprise. Madame de Boves herself did not expect her -husband. The latter, a fine man, wearing a moustache and an imperial -in the correct military fashion so much liked at the Tuileries, kissed -the hand of Madame Desforges, whom he had known as a young girl at her -father's. And then he made way so that his companion, a tall, pale -fellow, of an aristocratic poverty of blood, might in his turn make his -bow to the lady of the house. However, the conversation had hardly been -resumed when two exclamations rang out. - -"What! Is that you, Paul?" - -"Why, Octave!" - -Mouret and Vallagnosc thereupon shook hands, much to Madame Desforges's -surprise. They knew each other, then? Of course, they had grown up side -by side at the college at Plassans, and it was quite by chance they had -not met at her house before. However, jesting together and with their -hands still united they stepped into the little drawing-room, just as -the servant brought in the tea, a china service on a silver waiter, -which he placed near Madame Desforges, on a small round marble table -with a light brass mounting. The ladies drew up and began talking in -louder tones, raising a cross-fire of endless chatter; whilst Monsieur -de Boves, standing behind them leant over every now and then to put -in a word or two with the gallantry of a handsome functionary. The -spacious room, so prettily and cheerfully furnished, became merrier -still with these gossiping voices interspersed with laughter. - -"Ah! Paul, old boy," repeated Mouret. - -He was seated near Vallagnosc, on a sofa. And alone in the little -drawing-room--which looked very coquettish with its hangings of -buttercup silk--out of hearing of the ladies, and not even seeing them, -except through the open doorway, the two old friends commenced grinning -whilst they scrutinized each other and exchanged slaps on the knees. -Their whole youthful career was recalled, the old college at Plassans, -with its two courtyards, its damp class-rooms, and the dining-hall in -which they had consumed so much cod-fish, and the dormitories where the -pillows flew from bed to bed as soon as the monitor began to snore. -Paul, who belonged to an old parliamentary family, noble, poor, and -proud, had proved a good scholar, always at the top of his class and -continually held up as an example by the master, who prophesied a -brilliant future for him; whereas Octave had remained at the bottom, -amongst the dunces, but nevertheless fat and jolly, indulging in all -sorts of pleasures outside. Notwithstanding the difference in their -characters, a fast friendship had rendered them inseparable until they -were examined for their bachelor's degrees, which they took, the one -with honours, the other in just a passable manner after two vexatious -rebuffs. Then they went out into the world, each on his own side, and -had now met again, after the lapse of ten years, already changed and -looking older. - -"Well," asked Mouret, "what's become of you?" - -"Nothing at all," replied the other. - -Vallagnosc indeed, despite the pleasure of this meeting, retained a -tired and disenchanted air; and as his friend, somewhat astonished, -insisted, saying: "But you must do something. What do you do?" he -merely replied: "Nothing." - -Octave began to laugh. Nothing! that wasn't enough. Little by little, -however, he succeeded in learning Paul's story. It was the usual story -of penniless young men, who think themselves obliged by their birth -to choose a liberal profession and bury themselves in a sort of vain -mediocrity, happy even when they escape starvation, notwithstanding -their numerous degrees. For his part he had studied law by a sort of -family tradition; and had then remained a burden on his widowed mother, -who already hardly knew how to dispose of her two daughters. Having at -last got quite ashamed of his position he had left the three women to -vegetate on the remnants of their fortune, and had accepted a petty -appointment at the Ministry of the Interior, where he buried himself -like a mole in his hole. - -"What do you get there?" resumed Mouret. - -"Three thousand francs." - -"But that's pitiful pay! Ah! old man, I'm really sorry for you. What! a -clever fellow like you, who floored all of us! And they only give you -three thousand francs a year, after having already ground you down for -five years! No, it isn't right!" He paused and then thinking of his own -good fortune resumed: "As for me, I made them a humble bow long ago. -You know what I'm doing?" - -"Yes," said Vallagnosc, "I heard you were in business. You've got that -big place on the Place Gaillon, haven't you?" - -"That's it. Counter-jumper, my boy!" - -Mouret raised his head, again slapped his friend on the knee, and -repeated, with the sterling gaiety of a man who did not blush for the -trade by which he was making his fortune: - -"Counter-jumper, and no mistake! You remember, no doubt, I didn't -nibble much at their baits, although at heart I never thought myself -a bigger fool than the others. When I took my degree, just to please -the family, I could have become a barrister or a doctor quite as -easily as any of my school-fellows, but those trades frightened me, -for one sees so many chaps starving at them. So I just threw the ass's -skin away--oh! without the least regret and plunged head-first into -business." - -Vallagnosc smiled with an awkward air, and ultimately muttered: "It's -quite certain that your degree can't be of much use to you in selling -linen." - -"Well!" replied Mouret, joyously, "all I ask is, that it shan't -stand in my way; and you know, when one has been stupid enough to -burden one's self with such a thing, it is difficult to get rid of -it. One goes at a tortoise's pace through life, whilst those who are -bare-footed run like madmen." Then, noticing that his friend seemed -troubled, he took his hand in his, and continued: "Come, come, I don't -want to hurt your feelings, but confess that your degrees have not -satisfied any of your wants. Do you know that my manager in the silk -department will draw more than twelve thousand francs this year. Just -so! a fellow of very clear intelligence, whose knowledge is confined to -spelling, and the first four rules of arithmetic. The ordinary salesmen -in my place make from three to four thousand francs a year, more than -you can earn yourself; and their education did not cost anything like -what yours did, nor were they launched into the world with a written -promise to conquer it. Of course, it is not everything to make money; -only between the poor devils possessed of a smattering of science who -now block up the liberal professions, without earning enough to keep -themselves from starving, and the practical fellows armed for life's -struggle, knowing every branch of their trade, I don't hesitate one -moment, I'm for the latter against the former, I think they thoroughly -understand the age they live in!" - -His voice had become impassioned and Henriette, who was pouring out the -tea, turned her head. When he caught her smile, at the further end of -the large drawing-room, and saw two other ladies listening, he was the -first to make merry over his own big phrases. - -"In short, old man, every counter-jumper who commences, has, at the -present day, a chance of becoming a millionaire." - -Vallagnosc indolently threw himself back on the sofa, half-closing his -eyes and assuming an attitude of mingled fatigue and disdain in which a -dash of affectation was added to his real hereditary exhaustion. - -"Bah!" murmured he, "life isn't worth all that trouble. There is -nothing worth living for." And as Mouret, quite shocked, looked at him -with an air of surprise, he added: "Everything happens and nothing -happens; a man may as well remain with his arms folded." - -He then explained his pessimism--the mediocrities and the abortions of -existence. For a time he had thought of literature, but his intercourse -with certain poets had filled him with unlimited despair. He always -came to the conclusion that every effort was futile, every hour equally -weary and empty, and the world incurably stupid and dull. All enjoyment -was a failure, there was even no pleasure in wrong-doing. - -"Just tell me, do you enjoy life yourself?" asked he at last. - -Mouret was now in a state of astonished indignation, and exclaimed: -"What? Do I enjoy myself? What are you talking about? Why, of course -I do, my boy, and even when things give way, for then I am furious -at hearing them cracking. I am a passionate fellow myself, and don't -take life quietly; that's what interests me in it perhaps." He glanced -towards the drawing-room, and lowered his voice. "Oh! there are some -women who've bothered me awfully, I must confess. Still I have my -revenge, I assure you. But it is not so much the women, for to speak -truly, I don't care a hang for them; the great thing in life is to be -able to will and do--to create, in short. You have an idea; you fight -for it, you hammer it into people's heads, and you see it grow and -triumph. Ah! yes, my boy, I enjoy life!" - -All the joy of action, all the gaiety of existence, resounded in -Mouret's words. He repeated that he went with the times. Really, a man -must be badly constituted, have his brain and limbs out of order, to -refuse to work in an age of such vast undertakings, when the entire -century was pressing forward with giant strides. And he railed at the -despairing ones, the disgusted ones, the pessimists, all those weak, -sickly offsprings of our budding sciences, who assumed the lachrymose -airs of poets, or the affected countenances of sceptics, amidst the -immense activity of the present day. 'Twas a fine part to play, decent -and intelligent, that of yawning before other people's labour! - -"But yawning in other people's faces is my only pleasure," said -Vallagnosc, smiling in his cold way. - -At this Mouret's passion subsided, and he became affectionate again. -"Ah, Paul, you're not changed. Just as paradoxical as ever! However, -we've not met to quarrel. Each man has his own ideas, fortunately. But -you must come and see my machine at work; you'll see it isn't a bad -idea. And now, what news? Your mother and sisters are quite well, I -hope? And weren't you supposed to get married at Plassans, about six -months ago?" - -A sudden movement made by Vallagnosc stopped him, and as his friend had -glanced into the larger drawing-room with an anxious expression, he -also turned round, and noticed that Mademoiselle de Boves was closely -watching them. Blanche, tall and sturdy, resembled her mother; but her -face was already puffed out and her features seemed large--swollen, -as it were, by unhealthy fat. Then, in reply to a discreet question, -Paul intimated that nothing was yet settled; perhaps nothing would -be settled. He had made the young person's acquaintance at Madame -Desforges's, where he had visited a good deal the previous winter, but -whither he now very rarely came, which explained why he had not met -Octave there before. In their turn, the Boves invited him, and he was -especially fond of the father, an ex-man about town who had retired -into an official position. On the other hand there was no money, -Madame de Boves having brought her husband nothing but her Juno-like -beauty as a marriage portion. So the family were living poorly on -their last mortgaged farm, to the little money derived from which were -fortunately added the nine thousand francs a year drawn by the count -as Inspector-General of the State Studs. Certain escapades, however, -continued to empty his purse; and the ladies, mother and daughter, -were kept very short of money, being at times reduced to turning their -dresses themselves. - -"In that case, why marry?" was Mouret's simple question. - -"Well! I can't go on like this for ever," said Vallagnosc, with a weary -movement of the eyelids. "Besides, there are certain expectations, we -are waiting for the death of an aunt." - -However, Mouret still kept his eye on Monsieur de Boves, who, seated -next to Madame Guibal, proved most attentive to her, laughing softly -the while, with an amorous air. Thereupon Octave turned to his friend -with such a significant twinkle of the eye that the latter added: - -"Not that one--at least not yet. The misfortune is, that his duties -call him to the four corners of France, to the breeding dépôts, so that -he has frequent pretexts for absenting himself. Last month, whilst his -wife supposed him to be at Perpignan, he was simply carrying on in -Paris, in an out-of-the-way neighbourhood." - -There ensued a pause. Then the young man, who was also watching the -count's gallantry towards Madame Guibal, resumed in a low tone: -"Really, I think you are right. The more so as the dear lady is not -exactly a saint, if all people say be true. But just look at him! Isn't -he comical, trying to magnetize her with his eyes? The old-fashioned -gallantry, my dear fellow! I adore that man, and if I marry his -daughter, he may safely say it's for his sake!" - -Mouret laughed, greatly amused. He questioned Vallagnosc again, and -when he found that the first idea of a marriage between him and Blanche -had come from Madame Desforges, he thought the story better still. That -dear Henriette took a widow's delight in marrying people, so much so, -that when she had provided for the girls, she sometimes allowed their -fathers to choose friends from her company. - -At that moment she appeared at the door of the little drawing-room, -followed by a gentleman apparently about sixty years old, whose arrival -had not been observed by the two friends, absorbed as they were in -the conversation they were carrying on, to the accompaniment of the -ladies' voices. These voices at times rang out in a shriller key above -the tinkling of the small spoons in the china cups; and from time to -time, during a brief silence you heard a saucer being harshly laid -down on the marble table. A sudden gleam of the setting sun, which -had just emerged from behind a thick cloud, gilded the crests of the -chestnut-trees in the gardens, and streamed through the windows in a -red, golden flame, whose glow lighted up the brocatel and brass-work of -the furniture. - -"This way, my dear baron," said Madame Desforges. "Allow me to -introduce to you Monsieur Octave Mouret, who is longing to express the -admiration he feels for you." And turning round towards Octave, she -added: "Baron Hartmann." - -A smile played on the old man's lips. He was short, and vigorous, with -a large Alsatian head, and a heavy face, which lighted up with a gleam -of intelligence at the slightest curl of his mouth, the slightest -movement of his eyelids. For the last fortnight he had resisted -Henriette's wish that he should consent to this interview; not that he -felt any immoderate jealousy of Mouret, but because this was the third -friend Henriette had introduced to him, and he was afraid of becoming -ridiculous at last. And so on approaching Octave he put on the discreet -smile of one who, albeit willing to behave amiably, is not disposed to -be a dupe. - -"Oh! sir," said Mouret, with his Provençal enthusiasm, "the Crédit -Immobilier's last operation was really astonishing! You cannot think -how happy and proud I am to know you." - -"Too kind, sir, too kind," repeated the baron, still smiling. - -Henriette, robed in a lace dress, which revealed her delicate neck -and wrists, looked at them with her clear eyes without any sign of -embarrassment; standing between the two, raising her head, and going -from one to the other she indeed appeared delighted to see them so -friendly together. - -"Gentlemen," said she at last, "I leave you to your conversation." And, -turning towards Paul, who had risen from the sofa, she resumed: "Will -you accept a cup of tea, Monsieur de Vallagnosc?" - -"With pleasure, madame," he replied, and they both returned to the -larger drawing-room. - -Mouret resumed his seat on the sofa, when Baron Hartmann likewise -had sat down on it; and forthwith the young man broke into renewed -praise of the Crédit Immobilier's operations. From that he went on to -the subject so near his heart, speaking of the new thoroughfare, a -lengthening of the Rue Réaumur, a section of which running from the -Place de la Bourse to the Place de l'Opéra was about to be opened under -the name of the Rue du Dix-Décembre. It had been declared a work of -public utility eighteen months previously; the expropriation jury had -just been appointed; and the whole neighbourhood was excited about -this new street, anxiously awaiting the commencement of the works, -and taking a keen interest in the houses condemned to disappear. For -three years Mouret had been waiting for this work--first, in the -expectation of an increase of his own business; secondly, for the -furtherance of certain schemes of enlargement which he dared not openly -avow, so extensive were his ideas. As the Rue du Dix-Décembre was -to cut through the Rue de Choiseul and the Rue de la Michodière, he -pictured The Ladies' Paradise occupying the whole block of building -which these streets and the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin surrounded; and he -already imagined it with a princely frontage in the new thoroughfare, -dominating everything around like some lord and master of the conquered -city. Hence his strong desire to make Baron Hartmann's acquaintance, -as soon as he had learnt that the Crédit Immobilier had contracted -with the authorities to open and build this Rue du Dix-Décembre, on -condition that it should receive the frontage ground on each side of -the street. - -"Really," he repeated, trying to assume a naive look, "you'll hand over -the street ready made, with sewers, pavements, and gas lamps. And the -frontage ground will suffice to compensate you. Oh! it's curious, very -curious!" - -At last he came to the delicate point. He was aware that the Crédit -Immobilier was secretly buying up the houses forming part of the same -block as The Ladies' Paradise, not only those which were to fall under -the demolishers' pickaxes, but the others as well, those which were -to remain standing; and he suspected the existence of a project for -founding some great establishment, which made him anxious about those -enlargements of his own premises of which he was ever dreaming, seized -with fear at the idea that he might one day come into collision with a -powerful company owning property which they certainly would not sell. -It was precisely this fear which had prompted him to seek an alliance -between himself and the Baron under Henriette's auspices. No doubt he -could have seen the financier at his office, and have there talked -the affair over at his ease; but he felt that he would be stronger in -Henriette's house. To be near her, within the beloved perfume of her -presence, to have her ready to convince them both with a smile, seemed -to him a certain guarantee of success. - -"Haven't you bought the former Hôtel Duvillard, that old building next -to my place?" he suddenly inquired. - -The baron hesitated for a moment, and then denied it. But Mouret looked -him straight in the face and smiled, from that moment beginning to play -the part of an open-hearted young man who was always straightforward in -business. - -"Look here, Monsieur le Baron," said he, "as I have the unexpected -honour of meeting you, I must make a confession. Oh, I don't ask you -for any of your secrets, but I am going to entrust you with mine, for -I'm certain that I couldn't place them in better hands. Besides, I want -your advice. I have long wished to call and see you, but dared not do -so." - -He did make his confession, and related his debut in life, not even -concealing the financial crisis through which he was passing in the -midst of his triumph. Everything was brought up, the successive -enlargements of his premises, the continual reinvestments of all -profits in the business, the sums contributed by his employees, the -existence of the establishment risked at every fresh sale, in which the -entire capital was staked, as it were, on a single throw of the dice. -However, it was not money he wanted, for he had a fanatic's faith in -his customers; his ambition ran higher; and he proposed to the baron -a partnership, in which the Crédit Immobilier should contribute the -colossal palace which he pictured in his dreams, whilst for his part -he would give his genius and the business he had already created. -Everything would be properly valued, nothing appeared to him easier to -realise. - -"What are you going to do with your land and buildings?" he asked -persistently. "You have a plan, no doubt. But I'm quite certain -that your idea is not so good as mine. Think of it. We build fresh -galleries on the vacant ground, we pull the houses down or re-arrange -them and open the most extensive establishment in Paris--a bazaar -which will bring in millions." And then he let this fervent, heartfelt -exclamation escape him: "Ah! if I could only do without you! But you -hold everything now. Besides, I shall never have the necessary capital. -Come, we must come to an understanding. It would be a crime not to do -so." - -"How you go ahead, my dear sir!" Baron Hartmann contented himself with -replying. "What an imagination you have!" - -He shook his head, and continued to smile, resolved not to return -confidence for confidence. In point of fact the idea of the Crédit -Immobilier was to found in the Rue du Dix-Décembre a huge rival to the -Grand Hôtel, a luxurious hostelry whose central position would attract -foreigners. At the same time, however, as the hotel was only to occupy -a certain frontage, the baron might also have entertained Mouret's -idea, and have treated for the rest of the block of houses, which still -represented a vast surface. However, he had already advanced funds to -two of Henriette's friends, and he was getting tired of his lavishness. -Besides, despite his passion for activity, which prompted him to -open his purse to every fellow of intelligence and courage, Mouret's -commercial genius astonished rather than captivated him. Was not the -founding of such a gigantic shop a fanciful, imprudent scheme? Would he -not court certain failure by thus enlarging the drapery trade beyond -all reasonable bounds? In short, he didn't believe in the idea and -refused his support. - -"No doubt the idea is attractive," said he, "but it's a poet's idea. -Where would you find the customers to fill such a cathedral?" - -Mouret looked at him for a moment in silence, as if stupefied by the -refusal which these words implied. Was it possible?--a man of such -foresight, who divined the presence of money at no matter what depth! -And suddenly, with an extremely eloquent gesture, he pointed to the -ladies in the drawing-room and exclaimed: "Customers?--why look there!" - -The sun was paling and the golden-red flame was now but a yellowish -gleam, dying away on the silk of the hangings and the panels of the -furniture. At this approach of twilight, the large room was steeped in -warm cosy pleasantness. While Monsieur de Boves and Paul de Vallagnosc -stood chatting near one of the windows, their eyes wandering far away -into the gardens, the ladies had closed up, forming in the middle of -the room a small circle of skirts whence arose bursts of laughter, -whispered words, ardent questions and replies, all woman's passion for -expenditure and finery. They were talking about dress, and Madame de -Boves was describing a gown she had seen at a ball. - -"First of all, a mauve silk skirt, covered with flounces of old Alençon -lace, twelve inches deep." - -"Oh! is it possible!" exclaimed Madame Marty. "Some women are very -fortunate!" - -Baron Hartmann, who had followed Mouret's gesture, was looking at -the ladies through the doorway which was wide open. And he continued -listening to them with one ear, whilst the young man, inflamed by -his desire to convince him, went yet deeper into the question, -explaining the mechanism of the new style of drapery business. This -branch of commerce was now based on a rapid and continual turning over -of capital, which it was necessary to convert into goods as often -as possible in the same year. For instance, that year his capital, -which only amounted to five hundred thousand francs, had been turned -over four times, and had thus produced business to the amount of two -millions. But this was a mere trifle, which could be increased tenfold, -for later on, in certain departments, he certainly hoped to turn the -capital over fifteen or twenty times in the course of the twelvemonth. - -"You understand, baron, the whole system lies in that. It is very -simple, but it had to be found out. We don't need an enormous working -capital; the sole effort we have to make is to get rid of the stock we -buy as quickly as possible so as to replace it by other stock which -each time will make our capital return interest. In this way we can -content ourselves with a very small profit; as our general expenses -amount to as much as sixteen per cent., and as we seldom make more than -twenty per cent. on our goods, there is only a net profit of four per -cent. at the utmost; only this will finish by representing millions -when we can operate on large quantities of goods incessantly renewed. -You follow me, don't you? nothing can be clearer." - -The baron again shook his head doubtfully. He who had entertained the -boldest schemes and whose daring at the time of the introduction of -gas-lighting was still spoken of, remained in the present instance -uneasy and obstinate. - -"I quite understand," said he; "you sell cheap in order to sell a -quantity, and you sell a quantity in order to sell cheap. But you must -sell, and I repeat my former question: Whom will you sell to? How do -you hope to keep up such a colossal sale?" - -A loud exclamation, coming from the drawing-room, interrupted Mouret -just as he began to reply. It was Madame Guibal declaring that she -would have preferred the flounces of old Alençon simply round the upper -skirt of the dress. - -"But, my dear," said Madame de Boves, "the upper skirt was covered with -it as well. I never saw anything richer." - -"Ah, that's a good idea," resumed Madame Desforges, "I've got several -yards of Alençon somewhere; I must look them up for a trimming." - -Then the voices fell again, sinking into a murmur. Prices were quoted, -a feverish desire to buy and bargain stirred all the ladies; they were -purchasing lace by the mile. - -"Why?" declared Mouret, when he could at last speak, "one can sell what -one likes when one knows how to sell! Therein lies our triumph." - -And then with his southern enthusiasm, he pictured the new business -at work in warm, glowing phrases which brought everything vividly -before the eyes. First came the wonderful power resulting from the -assemblage of goods, all accumulated on one point and sustaining and -facilitating the sale of one another. There was never any stand-still, -the article of the season was always on hand; and from counter to -counter the customer found herself caught and subjugated, at one buying -the material for a gown; at another cotton and trimming, elsewhere a -mantle, in fact everything necessary to complete her costume; while in -addition there were all the unforeseen purchases, chases, a surrender -to a longing for the useless and the pretty. Next he began to sing -the praises of the plain figure system. The great revolution in the -business sprang from this fortunate inspiration. If the old-fashioned -small shops were dying out it was because they could not struggle -against the low prices which the tickets guaranteed. Competition now -went on under the very eyes of the public; a look in the windows -enabled people to contrast the prices of different establishments; and -each shop in turn was lowering its rates, contenting itself with the -smallest possible profit. There could be no deceit, no long prepared -stroke of fortune by selling an article at double its value; there were -simply current operations, a regular percentage levied on all goods, -and success depended solely on the skilful working of the sales which -became the larger from the very circumstance that they were carried on -openly and honestly. Was it not altogether an astonishing development? -And it was already revolutionizing the markets and transforming Paris, -for it was made of woman's flesh and blood. - -"I have the women, I don't care a hang for the rest!" exclaimed Mouret, -with a brutal frankness born of his passion. - -At this cry Baron Hartmann appeared somewhat moved. His smile lost its -touch of irony and he glanced at the young man, gradually won over by -the confidence he displayed and feeling a growing friendship for him. - -"Hush!" he murmured, paternally, "they will hear you." - -But the ladies were now all speaking at once, so excited that they -did not even listen to each other. Madame de Boves was finishing the -description of an evening-dress; a mauve silk tunic, draped and caught -up by bows of lace; the bodice cut very low, with similar bows of lace -on the shoulders. - -"You'll see," said she. "I am having a bodice made like it, with some -satin----" - -"For my part," interrupted Madame Bourdelais, "I was bent on buying -some velvet. Oh! such a bargain!" - -Then suddenly Madame Marty asked: "How much did the silk cost?" - -And off they started again, all together. Madame Guibal, Henriette, and -Blanche were measuring, cutting out, and making up. It was a pillage of -material, a ransacking of all the shops, an appetite for luxury seeking -satisfaction in toilettes envied and dreamed of--with such happiness -at finding themselves in an atmosphere of finery, that they buried -themselves in it, as in warm air necessary to their existence. - -Mouret had glanced towards the larger drawing-room, and in a few -phrases, whispered in the baron's ear, as if he were confiding to him -one of those amorous secrets which men sometimes venture to reveal -among themselves, he finished explaining the mechanism of modern -commerce. And, above all that he had already spoken of, dominating -everything else, appeared the exploitation of woman to which everything -conduced, the capital incessantly renewed, the system of assembling -goods together, the attraction of cheapness and the tranquillizing -effect of the marking in plain figures. It was for woman that all the -establishments were struggling in wild competition; it was woman whom -they were continually catching in the snares of their bargains, after -bewildering her with their displays. They had awakened new desires -in her flesh; they constituted an immense temptation, before which -she fatally succumbed, yielding at first to reasonable purchases -of articles needed in the household, then tempted by her coquetry, -and finally subjugated and devoured. By increasing their business -tenfold and popularizing luxury, they--the drapers--became a terrible -instrument of prodigality, ravaging households, and preparing mad -freaks of fashion which proved ever more and more costly. And if woman -reigned in their shops like a queen, cajoled, flattered and overwhelmed -with attentions, she was one on whom her subjects traffic, and who pays -for each fresh caprice, with a drop of her blood. From beneath the -very gracefulness of his gallantry, Mouret thus allowed the baron to -divine the brutality of a Jew who sells woman by the pound weight. He -raised a temple to her, caused her to be steeped in incense by a legion -of shopmen, prepared the ritual of a new cultus, thinking of nothing -but woman and ever seeking to imagine more powerful fascinations. -But, behind her back, when he had emptied her purse and shattered her -nerves, he remained full of the secret scorn of a man to whom a woman -has been foolish enough to yield. - -"Once have the women on your side," he whispered to the baron, laughing -boldly, "and you could sell the very world." - -Now the baron understood. A few sentences had sufficed, he guessed the -rest, and such a gallant exploitation inflamed him, stirring up the -memories of his past life of pleasure. His eyes twinkled in a knowing -way, and he ended by looking with an air of admiration at the inventor -of this machine for devouring the female sex. It was really clever. -And then he made precisely the same remark as Bourdoncle, a remark -suggested to him by his long experience: "They'll make you suffer for -it, by and by, you know," said he. - -But Mouret shrugged his shoulders with an air of overwhelming disdain. -They all belonged to him, they were his property, and he belonged to -none of them. After deriving his fortune and his pleasures from them he -intended to throw them all over for those who might still find their -account in them. It was the rational, cold disdain of a Southerner and -a speculator. - -"Well! my dear baron," he asked in conclusion, "will you join me? Does -this affair appear possible to you?" - -Albeit half conquered, the baron did not wish to enter into any -engagement yet. A doubt remained beneath the charm which was gradually -operating on him; and he was going to reply in an evasive manner, when -a pressing call from the ladies spared him the trouble. Amidst light -bursts of laughter voices were repeating "Monsieur Mouret! Monsieur -Mouret!" - -And as the latter, annoyed at being interrupted, pretended not to hear, -Madame de Boves, who had risen a moment previously, came as far as the -door of the little drawing-room. - -"You are wanted, Monsieur Mouret. It isn't very gallant of you to bury -yourself in a corner to talk over business." - -Thereupon he decided to join the ladies, with an apparent good grace, a -well-feigned air of rapture which quite astonished the baron. Both of -them rose and passed into the other room. - -"But I am quite at your service, ladies," said Mouret on entering, a -smile on his lips. - -He was greeted with an acclamation of triumph and was obliged to step -forward; the ladies making room for him in their midst. The sun had -just set behind the trees in the gardens, the daylight was departing, -delicate shadows were gradually invading the spacious apartment. It -was the emotional hour of twilight, that quiet voluptuous moment which -reigns in Parisian flats between the dying brightness of the street -and the lighting of the lamps in the kitchen. Monsieur de Boves and -Vallagnosc, still standing before a window, cast shadows upon the -carpet: whilst, motionless in the last gleam of light which came in by -the other window, Monsieur Marty, who had quietly entered, shewed his -poverty-stricken silhouette, his worn-out, well-brushed frock coat, and -his pale face wan from constant teaching and the more haggard as what -he had heard of the ladies' conversation had quite upset him. - -"Is your sale still fixed for next Monday?" Madame Marty was just -asking. - -"Certainly, madame," replied Mouret, in a flute-like voice, an actor's -voice, which he assumed when speaking to women. - -Henriette thereupon intervened. "We are all going, you know. They say -you are preparing wonders." - -"Oh! wonders!" he murmured, with an air of modest fatuity. "I simply -try to deserve your patronage." - -But they pressed him with questions: Madame Bourdelais, Madame Guibal, -even Blanche wanted to know something. - -"Come, give us some particulars," repeated Madame de Boves, -persistently. "You are making us die of curiosity." - -And they were surrounding him, when Henriette observed that he had not -even taken a cup of tea. At this they were plunged into desolation and -four of them set about serving him, stipulating however that he must -answer them afterwards. Henriette poured the tea out, Madame Marty held -the cup, whilst Madame de Boves and Madame Bourdelais contended for the -honour of sweetening it. Then, when he had declined to sit down, and -began to drink his tea slowly, standing up in the midst of them, they -all drew nearer, imprisoning him in the circle of their skirts; and -with their heads raised and their eyes sparkling, they smiled upon him. - -"And what about silk, your Paris Delight which all the papers are -talking of?" resumed Madame Marty, impatiently. - -"Oh!" he replied, "it's an extraordinary article, large-grained faille, -supple and strong. You'll see it, ladies, and you'll see it nowhere -else, for we have bought the exclusive right to it." - -"Really! a fine silk at five francs sixty centimes!" said Madame -Bourdelais, enthusiastic. "One can hardly believe it." - -Ever since the advertisements and puffs had appeared, this silk had -occupied a considerable place in their daily life. They talked of it, -promising themselves some of it, all agog with desire and doubt. And, -beneath the inquisitive chatter with which they overwhelmed the young -man, one could divine their different temperaments as purchasers. -Madame Marty, carried away by her rage for spending money, bought -everything at The Ladies' Paradise without selecting, just as things -chanced to be placed in the windows or on the counters. Madame Guibal -on the other hand walked about the shop for hours without ever buying -anything, happy and satisfied in simply feasting her eyes; Madame de -Boves, short of money and always tortured by some immoderate desire, -nourished a feeling of rancour against the goods she could not carry -away with her; Madame Bourdelais, with the sharp eyes of a careful -and practical housewife, made straight for the bargains, availing -herself of the big establishments with such skill that she saved a -lot of money; and lastly, Henriette, having very elegant tastes, only -purchased certain articles there, such as gloves, hosiery, and her -coarser linen. - -"We have other stuffs of astonishing cheapness and richness," continued -Mouret, in his musical voice. "For instance, I recommend you our Golden -Grain, a taffeta of incomparable brilliancy. In the fancy silks there -are some charming lines, designs specially chosen from among thousands -by our buyer; and in velvets you will find an exceedingly rich -collection of shades. I warn you, however, that cloth will be greatly -worn this year; you'll see our _matelassés_ and our cheviots." - -They had ceased to interrupt him, and drew yet closer, their lips -parted by vague smiles, their faces eagerly out-stretched as if their -whole beings were springing towards the tempter. Their eyes grew dim, -and slight quivers ran through them but he meantime retained his calm, -conquering air, amidst the intoxicating perfumes which their hair -exhaled; and between each sentence he continued to sip a little of -his tea, the aroma of which softened those sharper odours. At sight -of such a power of fascination, so well controlled, strong enough to -play with woman without being overcome by the intoxication which she -diffuses, Baron Hartmann, who had not ceased to look at Mouret, felt -his admiration increasing. - -"So cloth will be worn?" resumed Madame Marty, whose rugged face -sparkled with coquettish passion. "I must have a look at it." - -Madame Bourdelais, who kept a cool look-out, in her turn remarked: -"Your remnant sales take place on Thursdays, don't they? I shall wait. -I have all my little ones to clothe." And turning her delicate blonde -head towards the mistress of the house, she asked: "Sauveur is still -your dressmaker, I suppose?" - -"Yes," replied Henriette, "Sauveur is very dear, but she is the only -person in Paris who knows how to make a dress-body. Besides, Monsieur -Mouret may say what he likes but she has the prettiest designs, designs -that are not seen anywhere else. I can't bear to see the same dresses -as mine on every woman's back." - -At first Mouret slightly smiled. Then he intimated that Madame Sauveur -bought her material at his shop; no doubt she went to the manufacturers -direct for certain designs of which she acquired the sole right of -sale: but for black silks, for instance, she watched for The Paradise -bargains, laying in a considerable stock, which she disposed of at -double and treble the price she gave. "Thus I am quite sure that -her buyers will snap up our Paris Delight. Why should she go to the -manufacturers and pay dearer for this silk than she would at my place? -On my word of honour, we shall sell it at a loss." - -This was a decisive blow for the ladies. The idea of getting goods -below cost price awoke in them all the natural greed of woman, whose -enjoyment in purchasing is doubled when she thinks that she is robbing -the tradesman. He knew the sex to be incapable of resisting anything -cheap. - -"But we sell everything for nothing!" he exclaimed gaily, taking -up Madame Desforges's fan, which lay behind him on the table. "For -instance, here's this fan. How much do you say it cost." - -"The Chantilly cost twenty-five francs, and the mounting two hundred," -said Henriette. - -"Well, the Chantilly isn't dear. However, we have the same at eighteen -francs; as for the mount, my dear madame, it's a shameful robbery. I -should not dare to sell one like it for more than ninety francs." - -"Just what I said!" exclaimed Madame Bourdelais. - -"Ninety francs!" murmured Madame de Boves, "one must be very poor -indeed to go without one at that price." - -She had taken up the fan, and was again examining it with her daughter -Blanche; and, over her large regular face and in her big, sleepy -eyes, spread an expression of suppressed and despairing longing -which she could not satisfy. The fan once more went the round of the -ladies, amidst various remarks and exclamations. Monsieur de Boves -and Vallagnosc, meantime, had left the window, and whilst the former -returned to his place behind Madame Guibal, whose charms he again began -to admire, with his correct and superior air, the young man leant over -Blanche, endeavouring to think of some agreeable remark. - -"Don't you think it rather gloomy, mademoiselle, that white mount and -the black lace?" - -"Oh," she replied, gravely, not a blush colouring her inflated cheeks, -"I saw one made of mother-of-pearl and white feathers. Something truly -virginal!" - -Then Monsieur de Boves, who had doubtless observed the distressful -glances with which his wife was following the fan, at last added his -word to the conversation. "Those flimsy things soon break," said he. - -"Of course they do!" declared Madame Guibal, with a pout, affecting an -air of indifference. "I'm tired of having mine mended." - -For several minutes, Madame Marty, very much excited by the -conversation, had been feverishly turning her red leather bag about on -her lap, for she had not yet been able to show her purchases. She was -burning with a sort of sensual desire to display them; and, suddenly -forgetting her husband's presence, she opened the bag and took out of -it a few yards of narrow lace wound on a piece of cardboard. - -"This is the Valenciennes for my daughter," said she. "It's an inch and -a half wide. Isn't it delicious? One franc ninety centimes the metre." - -The lace passed from hand to hand. The ladies were astonished. Mouret -assured them that he sold these little trimmings at cost price. -However, Madame Marty had closed the bag, as if to conceal certain -things she must not show. But after the success obtained by the -Valenciennes she was unable to resist the temptation of taking out a -handkerchief. - -"There was this handkerchief as well. Real Brussels, my dear. Oh! a -bargain! Twenty francs!" - -And after that the bag became inexhaustible. She blushed with pleasure, -at each fresh article she took out. There was a Spanish blonde-lace -cravat, thirty francs: she hadn't wanted it, but the shopman had sworn -it was the last one in stock, and that in future the price would be -raised. Next came a Chantilly veil: rather dear, fifty francs; if she -didn't wear it she could make it do for her daughter. - -"Really, lace is so pretty!" she repeated with her nervous laugh. "Once -I'm inside I could buy everything." - -"And this?" asked Madame de Boves, taking up and examining some guipure. - -"That," replied she, "is for an insertion. There are twenty-six -yards--a franc the yard. Just fancy!" - -"But," asked Madame Bourdelais, in surprise, "What are you going to do -with it?" - -"I'm sure I don't know. But it was such a funny pattern!" - -At that moment however, she chanced to raise her eyes and perceived her -terrified husband in front of her. He had turned paler than ever, his -whole person expressive of the patient, resigned anguish of a powerless -man, witnessing the reckless expenditure of his dearly earned salary. -Every fresh bit of lace to him meant disaster; bitter days of teaching, -long journeys to pupils through the mud, the whole constant effort -of his life resulting in secret misery, the hell of a necessitous -household. And she, perceiving the increasing wildness of his look, -wanted to catch up the veil, cravat and handkerchief and put them out -of sight, moving her feverish hands about and repeating with forced -laughter: "You'll get me a scolding from my husband. I assure you, my -dear, I've been very reasonable; for there was a large lace flounce at -five hundred francs, oh! a marvel!" - -"Why didn't you buy it?" asked Madame Guibal, calmly. "Monsieur Marty -is the most gallant of men." - -The poor professor was obliged to bow and say that his wife was quite -free to buy what she liked. But at thought of the danger to which that -large flounce had exposed him, an icy shiver sped down his back; and as -Mouret was just at that moment affirming that the new shops increased -the comfort of middle-class households, he glared at him with a -terrible expression, the flash of hatred of a timid man who would like -to throttle the destroyer but dares not. - -But the ladies had still retained possession of the lace. They were -intoxicating themselves with their prolonged contemplation of it. The -several pieces were unrolled and then passed from one to the other, -drawing them all still closer together, linking them, as it were, with -delicate meshes. On their laps there was a continual caress of this -wondrously delicate tissue amidst which their guilty fingers fondly -lingered. They still kept Mouret a close prisoner and overwhelmed him -with fresh questions. As the daylight continued to decline, he was now -and again obliged to bend his head, grazing their hair with his beard, -as he examined a mesh, or indicated a design. Nevertheless in this soft -voluptuousness of twilight, in this warm feminine atmosphere, Mouret -still remained the master whatever the rapture he affected. He seemed -to be a woman himself, they felt penetrated, overcome by the delicate -sense of their secret passions which he possessed, and surrendered -themselves to him quite captivated; whilst he, certain that he had them -at his mercy, appeared like the despotic monarch of finery, enthroned -above them all. - -"Oh, Monsieur Mouret! Monsieur Mouret!" they stammered in low, -rapturous voices, amidst the increasing gloom of the drawing-room. - -The last pale gleams of the heavens were dying away on the brass-work -of the furniture. The laces alone retained a snowy reflection against -the dark dresses of the ladies, who in a confused group around the -young man had a vague appearance of kneeling, worshipping women. A -final glow still shone on one side of the silver teapot, a gleam like -that of a night-light, burning in an alcove balmy with the perfume of -tea. But suddenly the servant entered with two lamps, and the charm was -destroyed. The drawing-room awoke, light and cheerful once more. Madame -Marty replaced her lace in her little bag and Madame de Boves ate -another sponge cake, whilst Henriette who had risen began talking in a -low tone to the baron, near one of the windows. - -"He's a charming fellow," said the baron. - -"Isn't he?" she exclaimed, with the involuntary impulse of a woman in -love. - -He smiled, and looked at her with paternal indulgence. This was -the first time he had seen her so completely conquered; and, too -high-minded to suffer from it, he experienced nothing but compassion at -seeing her in the hands of this handsome fellow, seemingly so tender -and yet so cold-hearted. He thought he ought to warn her, and so in a -joking way he muttered: "Take care, my dear, or he'll eat you all up." - -A flash of jealousy darted from Henriette's fine eyes. Doubtless she -understood that Mouret had simply made use of her to get at the baron; -but she vowed that she would render him mad with passion, he whose -hurried style of love-making was instinct with the facile charm of a -song thrown to the four winds of heaven. "Oh," said she, affecting to -joke in her turn, "the lamb always finishes by eating up the wolf." - -Thereupon the baron, greatly amused, encouraged her with a nod. Could -she be the woman who was to avenge all the others? - -When Mouret, after reminding Vallagnosc that he wanted to show him his -machine at work, came up to take his leave, the baron retained him near -the window opposite the gardens, now steeped in darkness. He was at -last yielding to the young man's power of fascination; confidence had -come to him on seeing him amidst those ladies. Both conversed for a -moment in a low tone, and then the banker exclaimed: "Well, I'll look -into the affair. It's settled if your Monday's sale proves as important -as you expect." - -They shook hands, and Mouret, delighted, took his leave, for he never -enjoyed his dinner unless before sitting down at table he had been to -glance at the day's receipts at The Ladies' Paradise. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - -On the following Monday, the 10th of October, a bright sun of victory -pierced through the grey clouds which had darkened Paris during the -previous week. There had even been a drizzle throughout the previous -night, a sort of watery mist whose moisture had dirtied the streets; -but in the early morning, thanks to the sharp breezes driving the -clouds away, the pavement had become drier; and now the blue sky -displayed a limpid, spring-like gaiety. - -Thus, already at eight o'clock, The Ladies' Paradise blazed forth -beneath the clear sun-rays in all the glory of its great sale of -winter novelties. Flags were flying at the door, pieces of woollens -were flapping about in the fresh morning air, animating the Place -Gaillon with the bustle of a country fair; whilst along both streets -the windows developed symphonious displays whose brilliant tones were -yet heightened by the clearness of the glass. It was like a debauch -of colour, a street pleasure bursting forth, a wealth of purchasable -articles publicly displayed, on which everybody could feast their eyes. - -But at this early hour very few people entered, a few customers pressed -for time, housewives of the neighbourhood, women desirous of avoiding -the afternoon crush. Behind the stuffs which decorated the shop, one -could divine that it was empty, under arms and waiting for customers, -with its waxed floors and its counters overflowing with goods. - -The busy morning crowd barely glanced at the windows, as it passed -without slackening its steps. In the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin and on -the Place Gaillon, where the vehicles were to take their stand, there -were at nine o'clock only two cabs. The inhabitants of the district, -and especially the small traders, stirred up by such a show of -streamers and decorations, alone formed little groups in the doorways -and at the street corners, gazing at the Paradise and venting bitter -remarks. What most filled them with indignation was the sight of one of -the four delivery vans just introduced by Mouret, which was standing -in the Rue de la Michodière, in front of the delivery office. These -vans were green, picked out with yellow and red, their brilliantly -varnished panels gleaming with gold and purple in the sunlight. This -particular one with its brand-new medley of colours, and the name of -the establishment painted on either side, whilst up above appeared an -announcement of the day's sale, finished by going off at the fast trot -of a splendid horse, after being filled with parcels left over from -the previous night; and Baudu, who was standing on the threshold of -The Old Elbeuf, watched it rolling off towards the boulevard, where -it disappeared to spread amid a starry radiance the hated name of The -Ladies' Paradise all over Paris. - -Meantime, a few cabs were arriving and forming in line. Each time a -customer entered, there was a movement amongst the shop messengers, -who dressed in livery consisting of a light green coat and trousers, -and red and yellow striped waistcoat were drawn up under the lofty -doorway. Jouve, the inspector and retired captain, was also there, -in a frock-coat and white tie, wearing his decoration as a mark of -respectability and probity, and receiving the ladies with a gravely -polite air. He bent over them to point out the departments, and then -they vanished into the vestibule, which had been transformed into an -oriental saloon. - -From the very threshold it was a marvel, a surprise, which enchanted -all of them. It was to Mouret that this idea had occurred. Before all -others, he had been the first to purchase at very advantageous rates -in the Levant a collection of old and new carpets, articles then -but seldom seen and only sold at curiosity shops, at high prices; -and he intended to flood the market with them, selling them at but -little more than cost price, and simply utilizing them as a splendid -decoration which would attract the best class of art customers to his -establishment. From the centre of the Place Gaillon you could see this -oriental saloon, composed solely of carpets and door-curtains hung up -under his direction. The ceiling was covered with a quantity of Smyrna -carpets, whose intricate designs stood out boldly on red grounds. -Then from each side there hung Syrian and Karamanian door-curtains, -streaked with green, yellow, and vermilion; Diarbekir hangings of a -commoner type, rough to the touch, like shepherds' cloaks; and carpets -which could also be used as door-curtains--long Ispahan, Teheran, and -Kermancha rugs, broader ones from Schoumaka and Madras, a strange -florescence of peonies and palms, fantastic blooms in a garden of -dreamland. On the floor too were more carpets, a heap of greasy -fleeces: in the centre was an Agra carpet, an extraordinary article -with a white ground and a broad, delicate blue border, through which -ran a violet-coloured pattern of exquisite design. And then, here, -there and everywhere came a display of marvels; Mecca carpets with -velvety reflections, prayer carpets from Daghestan with the symbolic -points, Kurdistan carpets covered with blooming flowers; and finally, -in a corner a pile of cheap goods, Gherdes, Koula, and Kirchur rugs -from fifteen francs a-piece. - -This seeming and sumptuous tent, fit for a caliph, was furnished with -divans and arm-chairs, made of camel sacks, some ornamented with -variegated lozenges, others with primitive roses. Turkey, Arabia, -Persia and the Indies were all there. They had emptied the palaces, -looted the mosques and bazaars. A tawny gold prevailed in the weft of -the old carpets, whose faded tints retained still a sombre warmth, like -that of an extinguished furnace, a beautiful mellow hue suggestive of -the old masters. Visions of the East floated before you at sight of all -the luxury of this barbarous art, amid the strong odour which the old -wool retained of the land of vermin and of the rising sun. - -In the morning at eight o'clock, when Denise, who was to enter on her -duties that very Monday, crossed the oriental saloon, she stopped -short, lost in astonishment, unable to recognise the shop entrance, -and quite overcome by this harem-like decoration planted at the door. -A messenger having shown her to the top of the house, and handed her -over to Madame Cabin, who cleaned and looked after the rooms, this -person installed her in No. 7, where her box had already been placed. -It was a narrow cell, opening on the roof by a skylight, and furnished -with a small bed, a walnut-wood wardrobe, a toilet-table, and two -chairs. Twenty similar rooms ran along the yellow-painted convent-like -corridor; and, of the thirty-five young ladies in the house, the twenty -who had no relations in Paris slept there, whilst the remaining fifteen -lodged outside, a few with borrowed aunts and cousins. Denise at once -took off her shabby woollen dress, worn thin by brushing and mended at -the sleeves, the only gown that she had brought from Valognes; and then -donned the uniform of her department, a black silk dress which had been -altered for her and which she found ready on the bed. This dress was -still too large, too wide across the shoulders; but she was so flurried -by her emotion that she paid no heed to petty questions of coquetry. -She had never worn silk before; and when rigged out in this unwonted -finery she went downstairs again and looked at her shining skirt, she -felt quite ashamed of the noisy rustling of the silk. - -Down below, as she was entering her department, a quarrel burst out and -she heard Clara exclaim in a shrill voice: - -"Madame, I came in before her." - -"It isn't true," replied Marguerite. "She pushed past me at the door, -but I had already one foot in the room." - -The matter in dispute was their inscription on the list of turns, which -regulated the sales. The girls wrote their names on a slate in the -order of their arrival, and whenever one of them had served a customer, -she re-inscribed her name beneath the others. Madame Aurélie finished -by deciding in Marguerite's favour. - -"Always some injustice here!" muttered Clara, furiously. - -However Denise's entry reconciled these young ladies. They looked at -her, then smiled at each other. How could a person truss herself up in -that way! The young girl went and awkwardly wrote her name on the list, -where she found herself last. Meanwhile, Madame Aurélie examined her -with an anxious pout and could not help saying: - -"My dear, two like you could get into your dress; you must have it -taken in. Besides, you don't know how to dress yourself. Come here and -let me arrange you a bit." - -Then she placed her before one of the tall glasses alternating with the -massive doors of the cupboards containing the dresses. The spacious -apartment, surrounded by these mirrors and carved oak wood-work, -its floor covered with red carpet of a large pattern, resembled the -commonplace drawing-room of an hotel, traversed by a continual stream -of travellers. The young ladies dressed in regulation silk, and -promenading their charms about, without ever sitting down on the dozen -chairs reserved for the customers, completed the resemblance. Between -two button-holes of their dress bodies they all wore a long pencil, -with its point in the air; and protruding from their pockets, you could -see the white leaves of a book of debit-notes. Several ventured to -wear jewellery--rings, brooches and chains; but their great coquetry, -the point of display in which, given the forced uniformity of their -dress they all struggled for pre-eminence, was their hair, hair ever -overflowing, its volume augmented by plaits and chignons when their -own did not suffice, and combed, curled, and decked in every possible -fashion. - -"Pull the waist down in front," said Madame Aurélie to Denise. "There, -you now have no hump on your back. And your hair, how can you massacre -it like that? It would be superb, if you only took a little trouble." - -This was, in fact, Denise's only beauty. Of a beautiful flaxen hue, it -fell to her ankles: and when she did it up, it was so troublesome that -she simply rolled it in a knot, keeping it together with the strong -teeth of a bone comb. Clara, greatly annoyed by the sight of this -abundant hair, affected to laugh at it, so strange did it look, twisted -up anyhow with savage grace. She made a sign to a saleswoman in the -under-linen department, a girl with a broad face and agreeable manner. -The two departments, which adjoined one another, were ever at variance, -still the young ladies sometimes joined together in laughing at other -people. - -"Mademoiselle Cugnot, just look at that mane," said Clara, whom -Marguerite was nudging, also feigning to be on the point of bursting -into laughter. - -But Mademoiselle Cugnot was not in the humour for joking. She had -been looking at Denise for a moment and remembered what she had -suffered herself during the first few months after her arrival in the -establishment. - -"Well, what?" said she. "Everybody hasn't got such a mane as that!" - -And thereupon she returned to her place, leaving the two others -crestfallen. Denise, who had heard everything, followed her with -a glance of gratitude, while Madame Aurélie gave her a book of -debit-notes with her name on it, remarking: - -"To-morrow you must get yourself up better; and now, try and pick up -the ways of the house, and wait your turn for selling. To-day's work -will be very hard; we shall be able to judge of your capabilities." - -Despite her prophecies, the department still remained deserted; very -few customers came to buy mantles at this early hour. The young -ladies husbanded their strength, prudently preparing for the exertion -of the afternoon. Denise, intimidated by the thought that they were -watching her, sharpened her pencil, for the sake of something to do; -then, imitating the others, she stuck it in her bosom, between two -buttonholes, and summoned up all her courage, for it was necessary that -she should conquer a position. On the previous evening she had been -told that she was accepted as a probationer, that is to say, without -any fixed salary; she would simply have the commission and allowance on -what she sold. However, she fully hoped to earn twelve hundred francs -a year even in this way, knowing that the good saleswomen earned as -much as two thousand, when they liked to take the trouble. Her expenses -were regulated; a hundred francs a month would enable her to pay Pépé's -board and lodging, assist Jean, who did not earn a sou, and procure -some clothes and linen for herself. Only, in order to attain to this -large amount, she would have to prove industrious and pushing, taking -no notice of the ill-will displayed by those around her but fighting -for her share and even snatching it from her comrades if necessary. -While she was thus working herself up for the struggle, a tall young -man, passing the department, smiled at her; and when she saw that -it was Deloche, who had been engaged in the lace department on the -previous day, she returned his smile, happy at the friendship which -thus presented itself and accepting his recognition as a good omen. - -At half-past nine a bell rang for the first luncheon. Then a fresh peal -announced the second; and still no customers appeared. The second-hand, -Madame Frédéric, who, with the sulky harshness of widowhood, delighted -in prophesying disasters, declared curtly that the day was lost, that -they would not see a soul, that they might close the cupboards and go -away; predictions which clouded the flat face of Marguerite who was -eager to make money, whilst Clara, with her runaway-horse appearance, -already began dreaming of an excursion to the woods of Verrières should -the house really fail. As for Madame Aurélie, she remained silent -and serious, promenading her Cæsarian countenance about the empty -department, like a general who has responsibility whether in victory or -in defeat. - -About eleven o'clock a few ladies appeared; and Denise's turn for -serving had arrived when the approach of a customer was signalled. - -"The fat old girl from the country--you know whom I mean," murmured -Marguerite to Clara. - -It was a woman of forty-five, who occasionally journeyed to Paris -from the depths of some out-of-the-way department where she saved -her money up for months together. Then, hardly out of the train, she -made straight for The Ladies' Paradise, and spent all her savings. -She very rarely ordered anything by letter for she liked to see and -handle the goods, and would profit by her journeys to lay in a stock of -everything, even down to needles, which she said were extremely dear -in her small town. The whole staff knew her, was aware that her name -was Boutarel, and that she lived at Albi, but troubled no further about -her, neither about her position nor her mode of life. - -"How do you do, madame?" graciously asked Madame Aurélie, who had come -forward. "And what can we show you? You shall be attended to at once." -Then, turning round she added: "Now, young ladies!" - -Denise approached; but Clara had sprung forward. As a rule, she was -very careless and idle, not caring about the money she earned in the -shop, as she could get plenty outside. However, the idea of doing the -newcomer out of a good customer spurred her on. - -"I beg your pardon, it's my turn," said Denise, indignantly. - -Madame Aurélie set her aside with a severe look, exclaiming: "There are -no turns. I alone am mistress here. Wait till you know, before serving -our regular customers." - -The young girl retired, and as tears were coming to her eyes, and she -wished to conceal her sensibility, she turned her back and stood up -before the window, pretending to gaze into the street. Were they going -to prevent her selling? Would they all conspire to deprive her of the -important sales, like that? Fear for the future came over her, she -felt herself crushed between so many contending interests. Yielding -to the bitterness of her abandonment, her forehead against the cold -glass, she gazed at The Old Elbeuf opposite, thinking that she ought -to have implored her uncle to keep her. Perhaps he himself regretted -his decision, for he had seemed to her greatly affected the previous -evening. And now she was quite alone in this vast house, where no one -cared for her, where she found herself hurtled, lost. Pépé and Jean, -who had never left her side, were living with strangers; she was parted -from everything, and the big tears which she strove to keep back made -the street dance before her in a sort of fog. All this time, the hum of -voices continued behind her. - -"This one makes me look a fright," Madame Boutarel was saying. - -"You really make a mistake, madame," said Clara; "the shoulders fit -perfectly--but perhaps you would prefer a pelisse to a mantle?" - -Just then Denise started. A hand was laid on her arm. Madame Aurélie -addressed her severely: - -"Well, you're doing nothing now, eh? only looking at the people -passing? Things can't go on like this, you know!" - -"But since I'm not allowed to sell, madame?" - -"Oh, there's other work for you, mademoiselle! Begin at the beginning. -Do the folding-up." - -In order to please the few customers who had called, they had already -been obliged to ransack the cupboards, and on the two long oaken -tables, to the right and left, lay heaps of mantles, pelisses, and -capes, garments of all sizes and materials. Without replying, Denise -began to sort and fold them carefully and arrange them again in the -cupboards. This was the lowest work, generally performed by beginners. -She ceased to protest, however, knowing that they required the -strictest obedience, and prepared to wait until the first-hand should -be good enough to let her sell, as she seemed at first to have the -intention of doing. She was still folding, when Mouret appeared upon -the scene. To her his arrival came as a shock, she blushed without -knowing why, and again seized by a strange fear, thinking that he -was going to speak to her. But he did not even see her; he no longer -remembered the little girl whom a momentary impression had induced him -to support. - -"Madame Aurélie," he called curtly. - -He was rather pale, but his eyes were clear and resolute. In making the -tour of the departments he had found them empty, and the possibility -of defeat had suddenly presented itself before him amidst all his -obstinate faith in fortune. True, it was only eleven o'clock; he knew -by experience that as a rule the crowd never arrived much before the -afternoon. But certain symptoms troubled him. On the inaugural days -of previous sales a general movement had manifested itself even in -the morning; besides, he did not see any of those bareheaded women, -customers living in the neighbourhood, who usually dropped into his -shop as into a neighbour's. Despite his habitual resolution, like all -great captains, he felt at the moment of giving battle a superstitious -weakness growing on him. Things would not succeed, he was lost, and -he could not have explained why; yet he thought he could read his -defeat on the faces of the passing ladies. Just at that moment, Madame -Boutarel, she who always bought something, turned away, explaining, -"No, you have nothing that pleases me. I'll see, I'll decide later on." - -Mouret watched her depart. Then, as Madame Aurélie ran up at his call, -he took her aside, and they exchanged a few rapid words. She waved -her hands despairingly and was evidently admitting that things were -bad. For a moment they remained face to face, overcome by one of those -doubts which generals conceal from their soldiers. But at last, in his -brave way, he exclaimed aloud: "If you want any assistance, take a girl -from the workroom. She'll be a little help to you." - -Then he continued his inspection, in despair. He had avoided Bourdoncle -all the morning, for his assistant's anxious doubts irritated him. -However, on leaving the under-linen department, where business was -still worse than in the mantle gallery, he suddenly came upon him, and -was obliged to listen to the expression of his fears. Still he did not -hesitate to send him to the devil, with the brutality which he did not -spare even his principal employees when things were looking bad. - -"Do keep quiet!" said he, "Everything is going on all right. I shall -end by pitching the tremblers out of doors." - -Then, alone and erect, he took his stand on the landing overlooking the -central hall, whence he commanded a view of almost the entire shop; -around him were the first-floor departments; beneath him those of the -ground-floor. Up above, the emptiness seemed heart-breaking; in the -lace department an old woman was having every box searched and yet -buying nothing; whilst three good-for-nothing minxes in the under-linen -department were slowly choosing some collars at eighteen sous a-piece. -Down below, in the covered galleries, in the rays of light which come -in from the street, he noticed that customers were gradually becoming -more numerous. There was a slow, intermittent procession wending its -way past the counters; in the mercery and the haberdashery departments -some women of the commoner class were pushing about, still there was -hardly a soul among the linens or the woollens. The shop messengers, in -their green swallow-tails with bright brass buttons, were waiting for -customers with dangling hands. Now and again there passed an inspector -with a ceremonious air, very stiff in his white choker. And Mouret was -especially grieved by the mortal silence which reigned in the hall, -where the light fell from a ground-glass roofing through which the -sunrays filtered in a white diffuse hovering dust, whilst down below -the silk department seemed to be asleep, in a quivering, church-like -quietude. A shopman's footstep, a few whispered words, the rustling of -a passing skirt, were the only faint sounds; and these the warm air of -the heating apparatus almost stifled. However, carriages were beginning -to arrive, the sudden pulling up of the horses was heard, followed by -the banging of the doors of the vehicles. Outside, a distant tumult -was commencing to rise, inquisitive folks were jostling in front of -the windows, cabs were taking up their positions on the Place Gaillon, -there were all the appearances of a crowd's approach. Still on seeing -the idle cashiers leaning back on their chairs behind their wickets, -and observing that the parcel-tables with their boxes of string and -reams of blue packing-paper remained unlittered, Mouret, though -indignant with himself for being afraid, thought he could feel his -immense machine ceasing to work and turning cold beneath him. - -"I say, Favier," murmured Hutin, "look at the governor up there. He -doesn't seem to be enjoying himself." - -"Oh! this is a rotten shop!" replied Favier. "Just fancy, I've not sold -a thing yet." - -Both of them, on the look-out for customers, from time to time -whispered such short remarks as these, without looking at each other. -The other salesmen of the department were occupied in piling up pieces -of the Paris Delight under Robineau's orders; whilst Bouthemont, in -full consultation with a thin young woman, seemed to be taking an -important order. Around them, on light and elegant shelves, were heaps -of plain silks, folded in long pieces of creamy paper, and looking -like pamphlets of an unusual size; whilst, encumbering the counters, -were fancy silks, moires, satins and velvets, resembling beds of cut -flowers, quite a harvest of delicate and precious tissues. This was the -most elegant of all the departments, a veritable drawing-room, where -the goods, so light and airy, seemed to be simply so much luxurious -furnishing. - -"I must have a hundred francs by Sunday," said Hutin. "If I don't make -an average of twelve francs a day, I'm lost. I reckoned on this sale." - -"By Jove! a hundred francs; that's rather stiff," retorted Favier. "I -only want fifty or sixty. You must go in for swell jollifications, -then?" - -"Oh, no, my dear fellow. It's a stupid affair; I made a bet and lost. -So I have to stand a dinner for five persons, two fellows and three -girls. Hang me! I'll let the first that passes in for twenty yards of -Paris Delight!" - -They continued talking for a few minutes, relating what they had done -on the previous day, and what they intended to do on the ensuing -Sunday. Favier followed the races while Hutin did a little boating, -and patronized music-hall singers. But they were both possessed by the -same eager desire for money, fighting for it throughout the week, and -spending it all on Sunday. It was their sole thought in the shop, a -thought which urged them into an incessant and pitiless struggle. And -to think that cunning Bouthemont had just managed to get hold of Madame -Sauveur's messenger, the skinny woman with whom he was talking! That -meant good business, three or four dozen pieces, at least, for the -celebrated dressmaker always gave large orders. A moment before too, -Robineau had taken it into his head to trick Favier out of a customer. - -"Oh! as for that fellow, we must settle his hash," said Hutin, who took -advantage of the slightest incidents to stir up the salesmen against -the man whose place he coveted. "Ought the first and second hands to -sell? 'Pon my word! my dear fellow, if ever I become second you'll see -how well I'll act with the others." - -Thereupon, with his plump, amiable little Norman person he began -energetically playing the good-natured man. Favier could not help -casting a side glance at him; however he retained his phlegmatic air -and contented himself with replying: - -"Yes, I know. For my part I should be only too pleased." Then, as a -lady came up, he added in a lower tone: "Look out! Here's one for you." - -It was a lady with a blotchy face, wearing a yellow bonnet, and a red -dress. Hutin immediately divined in her a woman who would buy nothing; -so in all haste he stooped behind the counter, pretending to be doing -up his boot-lace: and, thus concealed, he murmured: "No fear, let some -one else take her. I don't want to lose my turn!" - -However, Robineau was calling him: "Whose turn, gentlemen? Monsieur -Hutin's? Where's Monsieur Hutin?" - -And as that gentleman still gave no reply, it was the next salesman who -served the lady with the blotches. Hutin was quite right, she simply -wanted some patterns with the prices; and she detained the salesman -more than ten minutes, overwhelming him with questions. However, -Robineau had seen Hutin get up from behind the counter; and so when -another customer arrived, he interfered with a stern air, and stopped -the young man just as he was rushing forward. - -"Your turn has passed. I called you, and as you were there behind----" - -"But I didn't hear you, sir." - -"That'll do! write your name at the bottom. Now, Monsieur Favier, it's -your turn." - -Favier, greatly amused at heart by this adventure, gave his friend a -glance, as if to excuse himself. Hutin, with pale lips, had turned his -head away. What particularly enraged him was that he knew the customer -very well, an adorable blonde who often came to their department, and -whom the salesmen called amongst themselves "the pretty lady," knowing -nothing of her except her looks, not even her name. She always made -a good many purchases, instructed a messenger to take them to her -carriage, and then immediately disappeared. Tall, elegant, dressed with -exquisite taste, she appeared to be very rich, and to belong to the -best society. - -"Well! and your hussy?" asked Hutin of Favier, when the latter returned -from the pay-desk, whither he had accompanied the lady. - -"Oh! a hussy!" replied the other. "No, she looks far too lady-like. She -must be the wife of a stockbroker or a doctor, or something of that -sort." - -"Don't tell me! All the women get themselves up so much alike -now-a-days that it's impossible to tell what they are!" - -Favier glanced at his debit book. "I don't care!" he resumed, "I've -stuck her for two hundred and ninety-three francs. That makes nearly -three francs for me." - -Hutin bit his lips, and vented his spleen on the debit books. Another -invention for cramming their pockets! There was a secret rivalry -between these two. Favier, as a rule, pretended to consider himself -of small account and to recognise Hutin's superiority, but in reality -devoured him all the while behind his back. Thus, Hutin was wild at -the thought of the three francs pocketed so easily by a salesman whom -he considered his inferior in business-talent. A fine day's work! If -it went on like this, he would not earn enough to pay for the seltzer -water for his Sunday guests. And in the midst of the battle, which was -now becoming fiercer, he walked along the counters with hungry eyes, -eager for his share, jealous even of his superior, who was just showing -the thin young woman out, and saying to her: - -"Very well! it's understood. Tell her I'll do my best to obtain this -favour from Monsieur Mouret." - -Mouret had quitted his post up above some time before. Suddenly he -reappeared on the landing of the principal staircase which communicated -with the ground floor; and here again he commanded a view of the whole -establishment. His face was regaining its colour, his faith was coming -back and increasing at sight of the crowd which was gradually filling -the place. It was the expected rush at last, the afternoon crush, which -in his feverishness he had for a moment despaired of. All the shopmen -were at their posts, a last ring of the bell had announced the end -of the third lunch; the disasters of the morning, due no doubt to a -shower which had fallen about nine o'clock, could still be repaired, -for the blue sky of daybreak had come back with its victorious gaiety. -Now that the first-floor departments were growing animated, he was -obliged to stand back to make way for the women who were coming up to -the under-clothing and mantle departments; whilst, behind him, in the -lace and the shawl departments, he heard shopmen and customers talking -of large sums. But the sight of the galleries on the ground-floor -especially reassured him. There was a crowd among the haberdashery, and -even the linen and woollen departments were invaded. The procession of -buyers had closed up; and now nearly all of them wore hats or bonnets, -it was only here and there that you espied the white caps of a few -belated housewives. In the yellow light streaming down into the silk -hall, ladies had taken off their gloves to feel the Paris Delight on -which they commented in whispers. And there was no longer any mistaking -the noises which came from outside, the rolling of cabs, the banging of -carriage-doors, all the increasing tumult of a growing crowd. Mouret -felt that his machine was again setting to work beneath him, getting -up steam and reviving to activity, from the pay-desks where gold was -jingling, and the tables where messengers were hurriedly packing up -goods, to the delivery-room in the basement, which was quickly filling -with the parcels sent down to it, its subterraneous rumble seeming to -shake the whole house. And in the midst of the crowd was inspector -Jouve, walking about gravely, on the look-out for thieves. - -"Hullo! is that you?" said Mouret, all at once recognising Paul de -Vallagnosc whom a messenger was conducting to him. "No, no, you are -not in my way. Besides, you've only to follow me if you want to see -everything, for to-day I stay in the breach." - -He still felt a little anxious. No doubt there were plenty of people, -but would the sale prove to be the triumph he hoped for? However, he -laughed with Paul and gaily carried him off. - -"Things seem to be picking up a bit," said Hutin to Favier. "But -somehow I've no luck; there are some days that are precious bad, -my word! I've just made another miss, that old frump hasn't bought -anything." - -As he spoke he glanced towards a lady who was walking off, casting -looks of disgust at all the goods. He was not likely to get fat on his -thousand francs a year, unless he sold something; as a rule he made -seven or eight francs a day in commission, which with his regular pay -gave him an average of ten francs a day. Favier never made much more -than eight, and yet now that animal was literally taking the bread out -of his mouth, for he had just sold another dress. To think of it, a -cold-natured fellow who had never known how to amuse a customer! It was -exasperating. - -"Those chaps over there seem to be doing very well," remarked Favier, -speaking of the salesmen in the hosiery and haberdashery departments. - -But Hutin, who was looking all round the place, suddenly inquired: -"Do you know Madame Desforges, the governor's sweetheart? Look! that -dark woman in the glove department, who is having some gloves tried on -by Mignot." He paused, then resumed in a low tone, as if speaking to -Mignot, on whom he continued to direct his eyes: "Oh, go on, old man, -you may pull her fingers about as much as you like, that won't do you -any good! We know your conquests!" - -There was a rivalry between himself and the glove-man, the rivalry -of two handsome fellows, who both affected to flirt with the -lady-customers. As a matter of fact neither had any real conquests to -boast about, but they invented any number of mysterious adventures, -seeking to make people believe in all sorts of appointments given them -by titled ladies between two purchases. - -"You ought to get hold of her," said Favier, in his sly, artful way. - -"That's a good idea!" exclaimed Hutin. "If she comes here I'll let her -in for something extensive; I want a five-franc piece!" - -In the glove department there was quite a row of ladies seated before -the narrow counter covered with green velvet and edged with nickel -silver; and before them the smiling shopmen were heaping up flat boxes -of a bright pink, taken out of the counter itself, and resembling the -ticketed drawers of a secrétaire. Mignot, in particular, was bending -his pretty doll-like face forward, and striving to impart tender -inflections to his thick Parisian voice. He had already sold Madame -Desforges a dozen pairs of kid gloves, the Paradise gloves, one of the -specialties of the house. She had then asked for three pairs of Suèdes, -and was now trying on some Saxon gloves, for fear the size should not -be exact. - -"Oh! the fit is perfect, madame," repeated Mignot. "Six and a quarter -would be too large for a hand like yours." - -Half-lying on the counter, he held her hand, taking her fingers one -by one and slipping the glove on with a long, renewed, persistently -caressing touch, looking at her the while as if he expected to see in -her face some sign of pleasure. But she, with her elbow on the velvet -counter and her wrist raised, surrendered her fingers to him with the -same unconcerned air as that with which she gave her foot to her maid -so that she might button her boot. For her indeed he was not a man; she -utilized his services with the disdain she always showed for servants -and did not even look at him. - -"I don't hurt you, madame?" he inquired. - -She replied "No," with a shake of the head. The smell of the Saxon -gloves--a savage smell resembling sugared musk--troubled her as a rule, -but seated at this commonplace counter she did not notice it. - -"And what next, madame?" asked Mignot. - -"Nothing, thanks. Be good enough to carry the parcel to pay-desk No. -10, for Madame Desforges." - -Being a constant customer, she gave her name at a pay-desk, and had -each purchase sent there without requiring a shopman to follow her. -When she had gone away, Mignot turned towards his neighbour and winked, -and would have liked him to believe that some wonderful things had just -taken place. - -Meanwhile, Madame Desforges continued her purchases. She turned to -the left, stopping in the linen department to procure some dusters; -then she walked round and went as far as the woollen department at the -further end of the gallery. As she was well pleased with her cook, -she wanted to make her a present of a dress. The woollen department -overflowed with a compact crowd; all the lower middle-class women were -there, feeling the stuffs and absorbed in mute calculations; and she -was obliged to sit down for a moment. The shelves were piled up with -great rolls of material which the salesmen took down one by one, with -a sudden pull. They were indeed getting confused with all the litter -on the counters, where stuffs were mingling and slipping down. It -was a sea of neutral tints, the dull hues of woollens--iron-greys, -yellow-greys and blue-greys, with here and there a Scotch tartan and a -blood-red flannel showing brightly. And the white tickets on the pieces -looked like a scanty shower of snow flakes, dotting a dark December -soil. - -Behind a pile of poplin, Liénard was joking with a tall bare-headed -girl, a work-girl of the neigbourhood, sent by her mistress to match -some merino. He detested these big-sale days, which tired him to death, -and endeavoured to shirk his work, getting plenty of money from his -father and not caring a fig about the business but doing only just -enough to avoid being dismissed. - -"Listen to me, Mademoiselle Fanny," he was saying; "you are always in a -hurry. Did the striped vicuna suit the other day? I shall come and see -you, and ask for my commission, mind." - -But the girl ran off, laughing, and Liénard found himself before Madame -Desforges, whom he could not help asking: "What can I serve you with, -madame?" - -She wanted a dress, not too dear but yet of strong stuff. Liénard, -with the view of sparing his arms, which was his principal thought, -manœuvred so as to make her take one of the stuffs already unfolded on -the counter. There were cashmeres, serges and vicunas there, and he -declared that there was nothing better to be had, for you could never -wear them out. However, none of these seemed to satisfy her. On one of -the shelves she had observed a blue shalloon, which she wished to see. -So he made up his mind at last, and took down the roll, but she thought -the material too rough. Then he showed her a cheviot, some diagonals, -some greys, every sort of woollens, which she felt out of curiosity, -just for the pleasure of doing so, decided at heart to take no matter -what. The young man was thus obliged to empty the highest shelves; his -shoulders cracked and the counter vanished under the silky grain of the -cashmeres and poplins, the rough nap of the cheviots and the tufty down -of the vicunas; there were samples of every material and every tint. -Though she had not the least wish to buy any, she even asked to see -some grenadine and some Chambéry gauze. Then, when she had seen enough, -she remarked: - -"Oh! after all, the first is the best; it's for my cook. Yes, the -narrow ribbed serge, the one at two francs." And when Liénard had -measured it, pale with suppressed anger, she added: "Have the goodness -to take that to pay-desk No. 10, for Madame Desforges." - -Just as she was going away, she recognised Madame Marty near her, -accompanied by her daughter Valentine, a tall girl of fourteen, thin -and bold, who already cast a woman's covetous looks on the materials. - -"Ah! it's you, dear madame?" - -"Yes, dear madame; what a crowd--is it not?" - -"Oh! don't speak of it, it's stifling. And such a success! Have you -seen the oriental saloon?" - -"Superb--wonderful!" - -Thereupon, amidst all the jostling, pushed hither and thither by the -growing crowd of modest purses rushing upon the cheap woollen goods, -they went into ecstasies over the exhibition of Eastern carpets. -And afterwards Madame Marty explained that she was looking for some -material for a mantle; but she had not quite made up her mind and -wanted to see some woollen _matelassé_. - -"Look, mamma," murmured Valentine, "it's too common." - -"Come to the silk department," then said Madame Desforges, "you must -see their famous Paris Delight." - -Madame Marty hesitated for a moment. It would be very dear, and she had -faithfully promised her husband to be reasonable! She had been buying -for an hour, quite a pile of articles was following her already: a muff -and some quilling for herself and some stockings for her daughter. She -finished by saying to the shopman who was showing her the _matelassé_: - -"Well--no; I'm going to the silk department; you've nothing to suit me." - -The shopman then took up the articles already purchased and walked off -before the ladies. - -In the silk department there was also a crowd, the principal crush -being opposite the inside display arranged by Hutin, to which Mouret -had given the finishing touches. This was at the further end of the -hall, around one of the slender wrought-iron columns which supported -the glass roof. A perfect torrent of material, a billowy cascade -fell from above, spreading out more and more as it neared the floor. -The bright satins and soft-tinted silks--the Reine and Renaissance -satins with the pearly tones of spring water; the light silks, -Nile-green, Indian-azure, May-pink, and Danube-blue all of crystalline -transparency--flowed forth above. Then came the stronger fabrics: -warm-tinted Merveilleux satins, and Duchess silks, rolling in waves -of increasing volume; whilst at the bottom, as in a fountain-basin, -the heavy materials, the figured armures, the damasks, and brocades, -the beaded silks and the silk embroidered with gold and silver, -reposed amidst a deep bed of velvet of every sort--black, white, -and coloured--with patterns stamped on silk and satin grounds, and -spreading out with their medley of colours like a still lake in which -reflections of sky and scenery were seemingly dancing. The women, pale -with desire, bent over as if to look at themselves in a mirror. And -before this gushing cataract they all remained hesitating between a -secret fear of being carried away by such a flood of luxury, and an -irresistible desire to jump in and be lost in it. - -"Here you are, then!" said Madame Desforges, on finding Madame -Bourdelais installed before a counter. - -"Ah! good day!" replied the latter, shaking hands with the other -ladies. "Yes, I've come to have a look." - -"What a prodigious exhibition! It's like a dream. And the oriental -saloon! Have you seen the oriental saloon?" - -"Yes, yes; extraordinary!" - -But beneath this enthusiasm, which was decidedly to be the fashionable -note of the day, Madame Bourdelais retained her practical housewifely -coolness. She was carefully examining a piece of Paris Delight, for -she had come on purpose to profit by the exceptional cheapness of this -silk, if she found it really advantageous. She was doubtless satisfied -with it, for she bought five-and-twenty yards, hoping that this -quantity would prove sufficient to make a dress for herself and a cloak -for her little girl. - -"What! you are going already?" resumed Madame Desforges. "Take a walk -round with us." - -"No, thanks; they are waiting for me at home. I didn't like to risk -bringing the children into this crowd." - -Thereupon she went away, preceded by the salesman carrying the -twenty-five yards of silk, who led her to pay-desk No. 10, where young -Albert was getting confused by all the demands for invoices with which -he was besieged. When the salesman was able to approach, after having -inscribed his sale on a debit-note, he called out the item, which -the cashier entered in a register; then it was checked, and the leaf -torn out of the salesman's debit book was stuck on a file near the -receipting stamp. - -"One hundred and forty francs," said Albert. - -Madame Bourdelais paid and gave her address, for having come on foot -she did not wish to be troubled with a parcel. Joseph had already -received the silk behind the pay-desk, and was tying it up; and then -the parcel, thrown into a basket on wheels, was sent down to the -delivery department, which seemed to swallow up all the goods in the -shop with a sluice-like roar. - -Meanwhile, the block was becoming so great in the silk department -that Madame Desforges and Madame Marty could not find a salesman -disengaged. So they remained standing, mingling with the crowd of -ladies who were looking at the silks and feeling them, staying there -for hours without making up their minds. However the Paris Delight -proved the great success; around it pressed one of those crowds whose -feverish infatuation decrees a fashion in a day. A host of shopmen were -engaged in measuring off this silk; above the customers' heads you -could see the pale glimmer of the unfolded pieces, as the fingers of -the employees came and went along the oak yard measures hanging from -brass rods; and you could hear the noise of scissors swiftly cutting -the silk, as fast as it was unwound, as if indeed there were not -shopmen enough to suffice for all the greedy outstretched hands of the -purchasers. - -"It really isn't bad for five francs sixty centimes," said Madame -Desforges, who had succeeded in getting hold of a piece at the edge of -the table. - -Madame Marty and her daughter experienced some disappointment, however. -The newspapers had said so much about this silk, that they had expected -something stronger and more brilliant. However, Bouthemont had just -recognised Madame Desforges, and anxious to pay his court to such a -handsome lady, who was supposed to be all-powerful with the governor, -he came forward, with rather coarse amiability. What! no one was -serving her! it was unpardonable! He begged her to be indulgent, for -really they did not know which way to turn. And then he began to look -for some chairs amongst the neighbouring skirts, laughing the while -with his good-natured laugh, full of a brutal love for the sex, which -did not seem to displease Henriette. - -"I say," murmured Favier, as he went to take some velvet from a shelf -behind Hutin, "there's Bouthemont making up to your mash." - -Beside himself with rage with an old lady, who, after keeping him a -quarter of an hour, had finished by buying a yard of black satin for -a pair of stays, Hutin had quite forgotten Madame Desforges. In busy -moments they took no notice of the turns, each salesman served the -customers as they arrived. And he was answering Madame Boutarel, who -was finishing her afternoon at The Ladies' Paradise, where she had -already spent three hours in the morning, when Favier's warning made -him start. What! was he going to miss the governor's sweetheart, from -whom he had sworn to extract a five-franc piece for himself? That would -be the height of ill-luck, for he hadn't made three francs as yet with -all those other chignons who were mooning about the place! - -Bouthemont was just then calling out loudly: "Come gentlemen, some one -this way!" - -Thereupon Hutin passed Madame Boutarel over to Robineau, who was doing -nothing. "Here's the second-hand, madame. He will answer you better -than I can." - -And he rushed off to take Madame Marty's purchases from the woollen -salesman who had accompanied the ladies. That day a nervous excitement -must have interfered with his usually keen scent. As a rule, the first -glance told him if a customer meant to buy, and how much. Then he -domineered over the customer, hastened to serve her so as to pass on to -another, imposing his choice upon her and persuading her that he knew -better than herself what material she required. - -"What sort of silk, madame?" he asked, in his most gallant manner and -Madame Desforges had no sooner opened her mouth than he added: "I know, -I've got just what you want." - -When the piece of Paris Delight was unfolded on a corner of the -counter, between heaps of other silks, Madame Marty and her daughter -approached. Hutin, rather anxious, understood that it was at first a -question of serving these two. Whispered words were exchanged, Madame -Desforges was advising her friend. "Oh! certainly," she murmured. "A -silk at five francs twelve sous will never equal one at fifteen, or -even ten." - -"It is very light," repeated Madame Marty. "I'm afraid that it has not -sufficient body for a mantle." - -This remark induced the salesman to intervene. He smiled with the -exaggerated politeness of a man who cannot make a mistake. "But -flexibility, madame, is the chief quality of this silk. It will not -crimple. It's exactly what you require." - -Impressed by such an assurance, the ladies said no more. They had taken -the silk up, and were again examining it, when they felt a touch on -their shoulders. It was Madame Guibal, who had been slowly walking -about the shop for an hour past, feasting her eyes on all the assembled -riches but not buying so much as a yard of calico. And now there was -another explosion of gossip. - -"What! Is that you?" - -"Yes, it's I, rather knocked about though." - -"What a crowd--eh? One can't get about. And the oriental saloon?" - -"Ravishing!" - -"Good heavens! what a success! Stay a moment, we will go upstairs -together." - -"No, thanks, I've just come down." - -Hutin was waiting, concealing his impatience beneath a smile that did -not quit his lips. Were they going to keep him there long? Really the -women took things very coolly, it was like stealing money out of his -pocket. At last, however, Madame Guibal went off to resume her stroll, -turning round the large display of silks with an enraptured air. - -"Well, if I were you I should buy the mantle ready-made," said Madame -Desforges, suddenly returning to the Paris Delight. "It won't cost you -so much." - -"It's true that the trimmings and making-up----" murmured Madame Marty. -"Besides, one has more choice." - -All three had risen; Madame Desforges, turning to Hutin, said to him: -"Have the goodness to show us to the mantle department." - -He remained dumbfounded, unaccustomed as he was to such defeats. What! -the dark lady bought nothing! Had he made a mistake then? Abandoning -Madame Marty he thereupon attacked Madame Desforges, exerting all his -ability as a salesman on her. "And you, madame, would you not like to -see our satins, our velvets? We have some extraordinary bargains." - -"Thanks, another time," she coolly replied, looking at him no more than -she had looked at Mignot. - -Hutin had to take up Madame Marty's purchases and walk off before the -ladies to show them to the mantle department. But he also had the grief -of seeing that Robineau was selling Madame Boutarel a large quantity of -silk. Decidedly his scent was playing him false, he wouldn't make four -sous! Beneath the amiable propriety of his manners his heart swelled -with the rage of a man robbed and devoured by others. - -"On the first floor, ladies," said he, without ceasing to smile. - -It was no easy matter to reach the staircase. A compact crowd of heads -was surging under the galleries and expanding like an overflowing -river in the middle of the hall. Quite a battle of business was going -on, the salesmen had this population of women at their mercy, and -passed them on from one to another with feverish haste. The moment -of the formidable afternoon rush, when the over-heated machine led -its customers such a feverish dance, extracting money from their very -flesh, had at last arrived. In the silk department especially a gust -of folly seemed to reign, the Paris Delight had brought such a crowd -together that for several minutes Hutin could not advance a step; and -Henriette, half-suffocated, having raised her eyes to the summit of the -stairs there beheld Mouret, who ever returned thither as to a favourite -position, from which he could view victory. She smiled, hoping that he -would come down and extricate her. But he did not even recognise her in -the crowd; he was still with Vallagnosc, showing him the establishment, -his face beaming with triumph the while. - -The trepidation within was now stifling all outside noise; you no -longer heard the rumbling of the vehicles, nor the banging of their -doors; apart from the loud buzzing of the sales nought remained but -a consciousness that the immensity of Paris stretched all around, an -immensity which would always furnish buyers. In the heavy still air, -in which the fumes of the heating apparatus heightened the odours -of the stuffs, there was an increasing hubbub compounded of all -sorts of noises, of continual tramping, of phrases a hundred times -repeated around the counters, of gold jingling on the brass tablets -of the pay-desks, which a legion of purses besieged, and of baskets -on wheels laden with parcels which were constantly disappearing into -the gaping cellars. And, amidst the fine dust, everything finished by -getting mixed, it became impossible to recognise the divisions of the -different departments; the haberdashery department over yonder seemed -submerged; further on, in the linen department, a ray of sunshine, -entering by a window facing the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, looked like -a golden dart in a mass of snow; while, among the gloves and woollens, -a dense mass of bonnets and chignons hid the background of the shop -from view. Even the toilettes could no longer be distinctly seen, the -head-gear alone appeared, decked with feathers and ribbons, while a -few men's hats here and there showed like black spots, and the woman's -complexions, pale with fatigue and heat, assumed the transparency of -camelias. At last, Hutin--thanks to his vigorous elbows--was able to -open a way for the ladies, by keeping in front of them. But on reaching -the landing, Henriette no longer found Mouret there, for he had just -plunged Vallagnosc into the midst of the crowd in order to complete his -bewilderment, he himself, too, feeling the need of a dip into this bath -of success. He lost his breath with rapture, feeling the while a kind -of continuous caress from all his customers. - -"To the left, ladies," said Hutin, still attentive despite his -increasing exasperation. - -Up above, however, there was the same block. People invaded even the -furnishing department, usually the quietest of all. The shawl, the fur, -and the under-clothing departments literally swarmed with customers; -and as the ladies crossed the lace gallery another meeting took place. -Madame de Boves was there with her daughter Blanche, both buried amidst -the articles which Deloche was showing them. And again Hutin had to -make a halt, parcel in hand. - -"Good afternoon! I was just thinking of you." - -"I've been looking for you myself. But how can you expect to find any -one in this crowd?" - -"It's magnificent, isn't it?" - -"Dazzling, my dear. We can hardly stand." - -"And you're buying?" - -"Oh! no, we're only looking round. It rests us a little to be seated." - -As a fact, Madame de Boves, with scarcely more than her cab-fare in -her purse, was having all sorts of laces handed down, simply for the -pleasure of seeing and handling them. She had guessed Deloche to be -a new salesman, slow and awkward, who dared not resist a customer's -whims; and she had taken advantage of his bewildered good-nature, to -keep him there for half an hour, still asking for fresh articles. The -counter was covered, and she plunged her hands into an increasing -mountain of lace, Malines, Valenciennes, and Chantilly, her fingers -trembling with desire, her face gradually warming with a sensual -delight; whilst Blanche, close to her, agitated by the same passion, -was very pale, her flesh inflated and flabby. However, the conversation -continued; and Hutin, standing there waiting their good pleasure, could -have slapped their faces for all the time they were making him lose. - -"Ah!" said Madame Marty, "you're looking at some cravats and -handkerchiefs like those I showed you the other day." - -This was true; Madame de Boves, tormented by Madame Marty's lace ever -since the previous Saturday, had been unable to resist the desire to at -least handle some like it, since the meagre allowance which her husband -made her did not permit her to carry any away. She blushed slightly, -explaining that Blanche had wished to see the Spanish-blonde cravats. -Then she added: "You're going to the mantles. Well! we'll see you -again. Shall we say in the oriental saloon?" - -"That's it, in the oriental saloon--Superb, isn't it?" - -Then they separated enraptured, amidst the obstruction which the sale -of insertions and small trimmings at low prices was causing. Deloche, -glad to be occupied, again began emptying the boxes before the mother -and daughter. And amidst the groups pressing close to the counters, -inspector Jouve slowly walked about with his military air, displaying -his decoration and watching over all the fine and precious goods, so -easy to conceal up a sleeve. When he passed behind Madame de Boves, -surprised to see her with her arms plunged in such a heap of lace he -cast a quick glance at her feverish hands. - -"To the right, ladies," said Hutin, resuming his march. - -He was beside himself with rage. Was it not enough that he had missed -a sale down below? Now they kept on delaying him at each turn of the -shop! And with his annoyance was blended no little of the rancour that -existed between the textile and the ready-made departments, which -were in continual hostility, ever fighting for customers and stealing -each other's percentages and commissions. Those of the silk hall were -yet more enraged than those of the woollen department whenever a lady -decided to take a mantle after looking at numerous taffetas and failles -and they were obliged to conduct her to Madame Aurélie's gallery. - -"Mademoiselle Vadon!" said Hutin, in an angry voice, when he at last -arrived in the department. - -But Mademoiselle Vadon passed by without listening, absorbed in a sale -which she was conducting. The room was full, a stream of people were -crossing it, entering by the door of the lace department and leaving -by that of the under-clothing department, whilst on the right were -customers trying on garments, and posing before the mirrors. The red -carpet stifled all noise of footsteps here, and the distant roar from -the ground-floor died away, giving place to a discreet murmur and a -drawing-room warmth, increased by the presence of so many women. - -"Mademoiselle Prunaire!" cried out Hutin. And as she also took no -notice of him, he added between his teeth, so as not to be heard: "A -set of jades!" - -He was certainly not fond of them, tired to death as he was by climbing -the stairs to bring them customers and furious at the profits which -he accused them of taking out of his pocket. It was a secret warfare, -into which the young ladies themselves entered with equal fierceness; -and in their mutual weariness, always on foot and worked to death, all -difference of sex disappeared and nothing remained but their contending -interests, irritated by the fever of business. - -"So there's no one here to serve?" asked Hutin. - -But he suddenly caught sight of Denise. She had been kept folding all -the morning, only allowed to serve a few doubtful customers, to whom -moreover she had not sold anything. When Hutin recognised her, occupied -in clearing an enormous heap of garments off the counters, he ran up to -her. - -"Look here, mademoiselle! serve these ladies who are waiting." - -Thereupon he quickly slipped Madame Marty's purchases into her arms, -tired as he was of carrying them about. His smile returned to him -but it was instinct with the secret maliciousness of the experienced -salesman, who shrewdly guessed into what an awkward position he had -just thrown both the ladies and the young girl. The latter, however, -remained quite perturbed by the prospect of this unhoped-for sale which -suddenly presented itself. For the second time Hutin appeared to her as -an unknown friend, fraternal and tender-hearted, always ready to spring -out of the darkness to save her. Her eyes glistened with gratitude; she -followed him with a lingering look, whilst he began elbowing his way as -fast as possible towards his department. - -"I want a mantle," said Madame Marty. - -Then Denise questioned her. What style of mantle? But the lady had no -idea, she wished to see what the house had got. And the young girl, -already very tired, bewildered by the crowd, quite lost her head; she -had never served any but the rare customers who came to Cornaille's, -at Valognes; she did not even know the number of the models, nor -their places in the cupboards. And so she was hardly able to reply to -the ladies, who were beginning to lose patience, when Madame Aurélie -perceived Madame Desforges, of whose connection with Mouret she was no -doubt aware, for she hastened up and asked with a smile: - -"Are these ladies being served?" - -"Yes, that young person over there is attending to us," replied -Henriette. "But she does not appear to be very well up to her work; she -can't find anything." - -At this, the first-hand completely paralyzed Denise by stepping up -to her and saying in a whisper: "You see very well you know nothing. -Don't interfere any more, please." Then turning round she called out: -"Mademoiselle Vadon, these ladies require a mantle!" - -She remained looking on whilst Marguerite showed the models. This girl -assumed a dry polite voice with customers, the disagreeable manner of -a young person robed in silk, accustomed to rub against elegance in -every form, and full, unknown to herself, of jealousy and rancour. -When she heard Madame Marty say that she did not wish to pay more -than two hundred francs, she made a grimace of pity. Oh! madame would -certainly give more, for it would be impossible to find anything at -all suitable for two hundred francs. Then she threw some of the common -mantles on a counter with a gesture which signified: "Just see, aren't -they pitiful?" Madame Marty dared not think them nice after that; but -bent over to murmur in Madame Desforges's ear: "Don't you prefer to be -served by men? One feels more comfortable?" - -At last Marguerite brought a silk mantle trimmed with jet, which she -treated with respect. And thereupon Madame Aurélie abruptly called -Denise. - -"Come, do something at all events. Just put that on your shoulders." - -Denise, wounded to the heart, despairing of ever succeeding, had -remained motionless, her hands dangling by her side. No doubt she would -be sent away, and the children would be without food. All the tumult -of the crowd buzzed in her head, her legs were tottering and her arms -bruised by the handling of so many garments, a porter's work which -she had never done before. However, she was obliged to obey and allow -Marguerite to put the mantle on her, as on a dummy. - -"Stand upright," said Madame Aurélie. - -But a moment afterwards Denise was forgotten. Mouret had just come -in with Vallagnosc and Bourdoncle; and he bowed to the ladies, who -complimented him on his magnificent exhibition of winter novelties. Of -course they went into raptures over the oriental saloon. Vallagnosc, -who was finishing his walk through the departments, displayed more -surprise than admiration; for, after all, thought he, with his -pessimist nonchalance, it was nothing more than an immense collection -of drapery. Bourdoncle, however, forgetting that he himself belonged to -the establishment, likewise congratulated the governor in order to make -him forget his anxious doubts and persecutions of the earlier part of -the day. - -"Yes, yes; things are going on very well, I'm quite satisfied," -repeated Mouret, radiant, replying with a smile to Madame Desforges's -loving looks. "But I must not interrupt you, ladies." - -Then all eyes were again turned on Denise. She placed herself entirely -in the hands of Marguerite, who was making her turn round. - -"What do you think of it--eh?" asked Madame Marty of Madame Desforges. - -The latter gave her opinion, like a supreme umpire of fashion. "It -isn't bad, the cut is original, but it doesn't seem to me very graceful -about the waist." - -"Oh!" interrupted Madame Aurélie, "it must be seen on the lady herself. -You can understand, it does not have much effect on this young person, -who is so slim. Hold up your head, mademoiselle, give the mantle all -its importance." - -They smiled. Denise had turned very pale. She felt ashamed at being -thus turned into a machine, which they examined and joked about so -freely. - -Madame Desforges, yielding to the natural antipathy of a contrary -nature, annoyed by the girl's gentle face, maliciously added: "No -doubt it would set better if the young person's gown were not so -loose-fitting." - -Thereupon she cast at Mouret the mocking glance of a Parisienne amused -by the ridiculous rig of a country girl. He felt the amorous caress -of this glance, the triumph of a woman proud of her beauty and her -art. And so out of pure gratitude, the gratitude of a man who knew -himself to be adored, he felt obliged to joke in his turn, despite his -good-will towards Denise of whose secret charm he was conscious. - -"Besides, her hair should be combed," he murmured. - -This was the last straw. The director deigned to laugh so all the young -ladies ventured to do the same. Marguerite risked a slight chuckle, -like a well-behaved girl who restrains herself; but Clara left a -customer so as to enjoy the fun at her ease; and even some saleswomen -of the under-clothing department came in, attracted by the talking. -As for the lady customers they took it more quietly, with an air of -well-bred enjoyment. Madame Aurélie was the only one who did not smile; -it was as if Denise's splendid wild-looking hair and slender virginal -shoulders had dishonoured her, compromised the good reputation of her -department. Denise herself had turned paler still, amidst all these -people who were laughing at her. She felt herself violated, exposed to -all their hostile glances, without defence. What had she done that they -should thus attack her spare figure, and her too luxuriant hair? But -she was especially wounded by Madame Desforges's and Mouret's laughter, -instinctively divining their connection and her heart sinking with -an unknown grief. That lady was surely very ill-natured to attack a -poor girl who had said nothing; and as for Mouret, he most decidedly -filled her with a freezing fear, in which all her other sentiments -disappeared. And, totally abandoned, assailed in her most cherished -feelings of modesty, indignant at such injustice, she was obliged to -stifle the sobs which were rising in her throat. - -"I should think so; let her comb her hair to-morrow," said the terrible -Bourdoncle to Madame Aurélie. Full of scorn for Denise's small limbs he -had condemned her the first time he had seen her. - -At last the first-hand came and took the mantle off Denise's shoulders, -saying to her in a low tone: "Well! mademoiselle, here's a fine start. -Really, if this is the way you show your capabilities--It is impossible -to be more stupid!" - -Fearing that her tears might gush from her eyes Denise hastened back -to the heap of garments, which she began sorting on the counter. -There at least she was lost in the crowd. Fatigue prevented her from -thinking. But all at once near by she perceived the saleswoman of the -under-clothing department, who had already defended her that morning. -The latter had followed the scene, and murmured in her ear: - -"My poor child, you mustn't be so sensitive. Keep that to yourself, -or they'll go on worse and worse. I come from Chartres. Yes, Pauline -Cugnot is my name; and my parents are millers. Well! the girls here -would have devoured me during the first few days if I had not stood up -firm. Come, be brave! give me your hand, we'll have a talk together -whenever you like." - -This outstretched hand redoubled Denise's confusion; she shook it -furtively and hastened to take up a load of cloaks, fearing lest she -might again be accused of a transgression and receive a scolding if it -were known she had a friend. - -However, Madame Aurélie herself, had just put the mantle on Madame -Marty, and they all exclaimed: "Oh! how nice! delightful!" It at -once looked quite different. Madame Desforges decided that it would -be impossible to improve on it. A good deal of bowing ensued, Mouret -took his leave, whilst Vallagnosc, who had perceived Madame de Boves -and her daughter in the lace department, hastened to offer his arm -to the former. Marguerite, standing before one of the pay-desks, was -already calling out the different purchases made by Madame Marty, who -settled for them and ordered the parcel to be taken to her cab. Madame -Desforges had found her articles at pay-desk No. 10. Then the ladies -met once more in the oriental saloon. They were leaving, but it was -amidst a loquacious outburst of admiration. Even Madame Guibal became -enthusiastic. - -"Oh! delicious! it makes you think you are in the East; doesn't it?" - -"A real harem, and not at all dear!" - -"And the Smyrnas! oh, the Smyrnas! what tones, what delicacy!" - -"And that Kurdestan! Just look, a real Delacroix!" - -The crowd was thinning. The bell, at an hour's interval, had already -announced the first two dinners; the third was about to be served, and -in the departments there now only remained a few lingering customers, -whose fever for spending money had made them forget the time. Outside -nothing was heard but the rolling of the last cabs breaking upon the -husky voice of Paris, a snort like that of a satiated ogre digesting -all the linens and cloths, silks and laces with which he had been -gorged since the morning. Within, beneath the flaming gas-jets, which, -burning in the twilight, had illumined the last supreme efforts of the -sale, everything looked like a field of battle still warm with the -massacre of the materials. The salesmen, harassed and fatigued, camped -amidst the contents of their shelves and counters, which appeared to -have been thrown into confusion by the furious blast of a hurricane. -It was with difficulty that you traversed the galleries on the ground -floor, obstructed by straggling chairs. In the glove department it -was necessary to step over a pile of cases heaped up around Mignot; -through the woollens there was no means of passing at all, Liénard was -dozing on an ocean of bales, in which certain pieces standing on end, -though half destroyed, seemed like houses which an overflowing river -was carrying away; and, further on, the linen department appeared like -a heavy fall of snow, and you stumbled against icebergs of napkins, and -walked through flakes of handkerchiefs. - -The same disorder prevailed upstairs, in the departments of the first -floor: the furs were scattered over the flooring, the mantles were -heaped up like the great-coats of soldiers _hors-de-combat_, the laces -and the under-linen, unfolded, crumpled, thrown about everywhere, made -you think of a nation of women who had disrobed themselves there; -whilst down below, in the depths of the establishment, the delivery -department, now in full activity, was still and ever disgorging the -parcels which filled it to suffocation and which were carried off by -the vans, in a last effort of the overheated machine. But it was on -the silk department especially that the customers had flung themselves -with the greatest ardour. There they had cleared off everything, there -was abundant room to pass, the hall was bare; the whole of the colossal -stock of Paris Delight had been cut up and carried away, as if by a -swarm of devouring locusts. And in the midst of this great void, Hutin -and Favier were running through the counterfoils of their debit-notes, -calculating their commission, and still short of breath from the -struggle. Favier, it turned out, had made fifteen francs while Hutin -had only managed to make thirteen; he had been thoroughly beaten that -day, and was enraged at his bad luck. The eyes of both sparkled with -the passion for gain. And all around them other shopmen were likewise -adding up figures, glowing with the same fever, in the brutal gaiety -which follows victorious carnage. - -"Well, Bourdoncle!" cried out Mouret, "are you trembling still?" - -He had returned to his favourite position against the balustrade, at -the top of the stairs, and, in presence of the massacre of stuffs -spread out below him, he indulged in a victorious laugh. His fears of -the morning, that moment of unpardonable weakness which nobody would -ever know of, inspired him with a greater desire to triumph. The battle -was definitely won, the small tradespeople of the neighbourhood were -done for, and Baron Hartmann was conquered, with his millions and his -building sites. Whilst Mouret gazed at the cashiers bending over their -ledgers, adding up long columns of figures, whilst he listened to the -sound of the gold, falling from their fingers into the metal bowls, he -already beheld The Ladies' Paradise growing and growing, enlarging its -hall and prolonging its galleries as far as the Rue du Dix-Décembre. - -"And now," he resumed, "are you not convinced, Bourdoncle, that the -house is really too small? We could have sold twice as much." - -Bourdoncle humbled himself, enraptured, moreover, to find himself -in the wrong. But another spectacle rendered them grave. As was the -custom every evening, Lhomme, the chief sales' cashier, had just -collected the receipts from each pay-desk; and after adding them up, -he wrote the total amount on a paper which he displayed by hanging it -on the iron claw with which the stump of his mutilated arm, severed -at the elbow, was provided. And then he took the receipts up to the -chief cash office, some in a leather case and some in bags, according -to the nature of the specie. On this occasion the gold and silver -predominated, and he slowly walked upstairs carrying three enormous -bags, which he clasped with his one arm against his breast, holding one -of them with his chin in order to prevent it from slipping. His heavy -breathing could be heard at a distance as he passed along, staggering -and superb, amidst the respectful shopmen. - -"How much, Lhomme?" asked Mouret. - -"Eighty thousand seven hundred and forty-two francs ten centimes," -replied the cashier. - -A joyous laugh stirred up The Ladies' Paradise. The amount ran through -the establishment. It was the highest figure ever attained in one day's -sales by a draper's shop. - -That evening, when Denise went up to bed, she felt so faint that she -was obliged to lean against the partition in the corridor under the -zinc roof. And when she was inside her room, with the door closed, she -fell down on the bed; her feet pained her so much. For a long time she -continued gazing with a stupid air at the dressing-table, the wardrobe, -all the lodginghouse-like bareness. This, then, was where she was -going to live; and her first day--an abominable, endless day--filled -her with sore distress. She would never have the courage to go through -such another. Then she perceived that she was dressed in silk; and -this uniform depressed her. She was childish enough, before unpacking -her box, to put on her old woollen gown, which hung over the back of a -chair. But when she had once more donned this poor garment a painful -emotion choked her; the sobs which she had kept back all day suddenly -found vent in a flood of hot tears. She fell back on the bed, weeping -at the thought of the two children, and she wept on and on, without -even the strength to take off her boots, so completely was she overcome -with fatigue and grief. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - -The next day Denise had scarcely been downstairs half an hour, when -Madame Aurélie said to her in her sharp voice: "You are wanted at the -director's office, mademoiselle." - -The girl found Mouret alone, in his spacious room hung with green rep. -He had suddenly remembered that "unkempt girl," as Bourdoncle called -her; and he, who usually detested the part of fault-finder, had thought -of sending for her and stirring her up a bit, if she were still dressed -in the style of a country wench. On the previous day, despite his -jocularity, he had experienced a feeling of wounded pride, on seeing -the elegance of one of his saleswomen questioned in Madame Desforges's -presence. He harboured a mixed sentiment with regard to Denise, a -commingling, as it were, of sympathy and anger. - -"We engaged you, mademoiselle," he commenced, "out of regard for your -uncle, and you must not put us under the sad necessity----" - -But all at once he stopped. On the other side of his table stood -Denise, upright, serious, and pale. Her silk gown was no longer too -big for her, but fitted tightly to her pretty figure, displayed the -pure lines of her virgin shoulders; and if her hair, knotted in thick -tresses, still appeared somewhat wild, she had at least tried to keep -it in order. After falling asleep with her clothes on, her eyes red -with weeping, she had, on waking at about four o'clock, felt ashamed of -her nervous sensibility, and had immediately set about taking-in her -dress; besides spending an hour before the tiny looking-glass, combing -her hair, which she was unable to reduce as much as she would have -liked to. - -"Ah! thank heavens!" said Mouret, "you look better this morning. But -there's still that dreadful hair!" With these words he rose from his -seat and stepped up to her to try and smooth her rebellious tresses in -the same familiar way as Madame Aurélie on the previous day. "There! -Just tuck that in behind your ear," he said, "The chignon is too high." - -She did not speak, but let him arrange her hair. In spite of her vow -to be strong and brave she had reached the office full of misgivings, -feeling certain that she had been summoned to be informed of her -dismissal. And Mouret's evident kindliness did not reassure her; she -was still afraid of him, feeling whenever near him that uneasiness -which she attributed to natural anxiety in the presence of a powerful -man on whom her future depended. And when he saw her thus trembling -under his hands, which were grazing her neck, he began to regret his -good-natured impulse, for he feared above all to lose his authority. - -"In short, mademoiselle," he resumed, once more placing the table -between himself and her, "try and look to your appearance. You are no -longer at Valognes; study our Parisian young ladies. If your uncle's -name has sufficed to gain you admittance to our house, I at least -trust that you will seek to justify the good opinion I formed of you -from your appearance. Unfortunately, everybody here is not of the same -opinion as myself. Let this be a warning to you. Don't make me tell a -falsehood." - -He treated her like a child, with more pity than kindness, his -curiosity simply awakened by the troublous, womanly charm which he -divined was springing up in this poor awkward girl. And she, whilst he -was lecturing her, having suddenly perceived the portrait of Madame -Hédouin, whose handsome regular face was smiling gravely in its gold -frame--felt herself shivering again, despite the encouraging words he -addressed to her. That was the dead lady, she whom people accused him -of having killed, in order to found the house with the blood of her -limbs. - -Mouret was still speaking. "Now you may go," he said at last, sitting -down and taking up his pen. And thereupon she went off, heaving a deep -sigh of relief. - -From that day onward, Denise put forth all her courage. Beneath her -attacks of sensitiveness, a strong sense of reason was constantly -working, quite a feeling of bravery at finding herself weak and alone, -with a cheerful determination to carry out her self-imposed task. She -made very little stir but went straight ahead to her goal, overcoming -all obstacles, and that simply and naturally, for her nature was one of -unconquerable sweetness. - -At first she had to surmount the terrible fatigues of her work in the -department. The piles of garments strained her arms to such a degree -that during the first six weeks she cried with pain when she turned -over at night, her back aching and her shoulders bruised. But she -suffered still more from her shoes, heavy shoes which she had brought -from Valognes; lack of money preventing her from replacing them by -light boots. Always on her legs, trotting about from morning to night, -scolded if she were seen leaning for a moment against a partition, -her feet, small like those of a child, became swollen by prolonged -imprisonment in those torturing bluchers; the heels throbbed with fever -and the soles were covered with blisters, the skin of which chafed off -and stuck to her stockings. She experienced, too, a shattering of her -whole frame; the constant weariness of her legs painfully affected her -system and her face was ever pale. And yet she, so spare and frail, -resisted courageously, whilst a great many other saleswomen, attacked -by special maladies, were obliged to quit the business. Her readiness -to suffer, her valiant stubbornness sustained her, smiling and upright, -however, even when she felt ready to give way, thoroughly worn out by -labour to which many men would have succumbed. - -Another torment was to have the whole department against her. To -physical martyrdom was added the secret persecutions of her comrades. -Two months of patience and gentleness had not disarmed them. She was -constantly exposed to offensive remarks, cruel inventions, a series of -slights which cut her to the heart, in her longing for affection. For -a long time the others joked over her unfortunate first appearance; -and such nicknames as "clogs" and "numbskull" were bestowed on her. -Then those who missed a sale were advised to go to Valognes; in -short, she passed for the fool of the place. And afterwards when she -revealed herself to be a remarkably clever saleswoman, well up in the -mechanism of the house, the others conspired to deprive her of all -good customers. Marguerite and Clara pursued her with instinctive -hatred, allying themselves together in order that they might not be -swallowed up by this new-comer, whom they really feared in spite of -their affected disdain. As for Madame Aurélie, she was hurt by the -proud reserve displayed by Denise, who did not hover round her skirts -with an air of caressing admiration; and she therefore abandoned her -to the rancour of her favourites, the preferred ones of her court, who -were always on their knees, feeding her with the continual flattery -which could alone impart any amiability to her proud domineering -nature. For a while, the second-hand, Madame Frédéric, appeared not to -enter into the conspiracy, but this must have been by inadvertence, for -she showed herself equally harsh directly she saw to what annoyances -her good-nature was likely to expose her. Then the abandonment became -complete, they all made a butt of the "unkempt girl," who lived on in -an hourly struggle, only managing by dint of the greatest courage to -hold her own in the department. - -Such then was her life now. She had to smile, look brave and gracious -in a silk gown which did not belong to her, and she was ever suffering -from fatigue, badly treated, under the continual menace of a brutal -dismissal. Her room was her only refuge, the only spot where she -could indulge in the luxury of a cry, when she had suffered too much -during the day. But a terrible coldness fell from the zinc roof, now -covered with the December snow; she was obliged to nestle in her iron -bedstead, pile all her clothes over her, and weep under the counterpane -to prevent the frost from chapping her face. Mouret never spoke to her -now; when she noticed Bourdoncle's severe looks during business hours -she trembled, for she divined in him a born enemy who would not forgive -her the slightest fault. And amidst this general hostility, inspector -Jouve's strange friendliness astonished her. If he met her in any -out-of-the-way corner he smiled at her and made some amiable remark; -twice, too, he had saved her from being reprimanded without any show of -gratitude on her part, for she was more troubled than touched by his -protecting airs. - -One evening, after dinner, while the young ladies were setting the -cupboards in order, Joseph came to inform Denise that a young man -wanted her below. She went down, feeling very anxious. - -"Hallo!" said Clara, "the 'unkempt girl' has got a follower then." - -"He must be hard up for a sweetheart," declared Marguerite. - -Meantime, downstairs at the door, Denise found her brother Jean. She -had formally prohibited him from coming to the shop in this way, as it -looked so bad. But she did not dare to scold him, so excited did he -appear, bareheaded, out of breath through running all the way from the -Faubourg du Temple. - -"Have you got ten francs?" he stammered. "Give me ten francs, or I'm a -lost man." - -With his flowing locks and handsome girlish face the young rascal -looked so comical, whilst launching out this melodramatic phrase, -that she could have smiled had it not been for the anguish which his -application for money caused her. - -"What! ten francs?" she murmured. "Whatever's the matter?" - -Thereupon he blushed, and explained that he had met a friend's sister. -Denise stopped him, feeling embarrassed and not wishing to know any -more about it. Twice already had he rushed in to obtain similar loans, -but on the first occasion it had only been a matter of twenty-five -sous, and on the next of thirty. He was, however, always getting into -bad company. - -"I can't give you ten francs," she resumed. "Pépé's board isn't paid -yet, and I've only just the money for it. I shall have hardly enough -to buy a pair of boots, which I want very badly. You are really not -reasonable, Jean. It's too bad of you." - -"Well, I'm lost," he repeated, with a tragical gesture. "Just listen, -little sister; she's a tall, dark girl; we went to the café with her -brother. I never thought the drinks would----" - -She had to interrupt him again, and as tears were coming into his eyes, -she took out her purse and slipped a ten-franc piece into his hand. He -at once set up a laugh. - -"I was sure of it!--But on my honour! never again! A fellow would have -to be a regular scamp." - -And thereupon he ran off, after kissing his sister, like a madman. The -assistants in the shop seemed quite astonished. - -That night Denise did not sleep much. Since her entry into The -Ladies' Paradise, money had been her cruel anxiety. She was still -a probationer, without a salary; the other girls in her department -frequently prevented her from selling, and she only just managed to -pay Pépé's board and lodging, thanks to the unimportant customers they -were good enough to leave her. It was a time of black misery--misery -in a silk dress. She was often obliged to spend the night in repairing -her small stock of clothes, darning her linen, mending her chemises -as if they had been lace; without mentioning the patches that she put -on her shoes, as cleverly as any bootmaker could have done. She even -risked washing things in her hand basin. But her old woollen dress was -an especial source of anxiety to her; she had no other, and was forced -to put it on every evening when she quitted the uniform silk, and this -wore it terribly; a stain on it gave her quite a fever, the least rent -was a catastrophe. And she had nothing, not a sou, not even enough to -buy the trifling articles which a woman always wants; she had even been -obliged to wait a fortnight to renew her stock of needles and cotton. -Thus it was a real disaster when Jean, with his love affairs, suddenly -swooped down and pillaged her purse. A franc-piece taken out of it left -an abyss which she did not know how to fill up. As for finding ten -francs on the morrow it was not to be thought of for a moment. All that -night she was haunted by nightmare in which she saw Pépé thrown into -the street, whilst she turned the paving stones over with her bruised -fingers to see if there might not be some money underneath them. - -It happened that the next day she had to play the part of the -well-dressed girl. Some well-known customers came in, and Madame -Aurélie summoned her several times in order that she might show off -the new styles. And whilst she was posing there, with the stereotyped -graces of a fashion-plate, she thought all the time of Pépé's board and -lodging, which she had promised to pay that evening. She would contrive -to do without any boots for another month; but even on adding the -thirty francs left her of Pépé's money to the four francs which she had -saved up sou by sou, there would never be more than thirty-four francs, -and where was she to find six francs to complete the sum she required? -It was an anguish in which her heart failed her. - -"You will notice that the shoulders are quite free," Madame Aurélie was -saying. "It's very fashionable and very convenient. The young person -can fold her arms." - -"Oh! easily," replied Denise, who continued to smile amiably. "One -can't feel it. I am sure you will like it, madame." - -She was now blaming herself for having gone to fetch Pépé from -Madame Gras' on the previous Sunday, to take him for a walk in the -Champs-Elysées. The poor child so seldom went out with her! But she had -been obliged to buy him some gingerbread and a little spade, and then -take him to see Punch and Judy, and all that had cost twenty-nine sous. -Really Jean could not think much about the little one, or he would not -be so foolish. Everything fell upon her shoulders. - -"Of course, if it does not suit you, madame--" resumed the first-hand. -"Just put this other cloak on, mademoiselle, so that the lady may -judge." - -And Denise then walked slowly round, wearing the cloak and saying: -"This is warmer. It's this year's fashion." - -And beneath her professional graces she continued worrying and worrying -until the evening, at a loss as to where she might find this money. The -young ladies, who were very busy, left her an important sale; but it -was only Tuesday, and she must wait four days before drawing any cash. -After dinner she decided to postpone her visit to Madame Gras till -the morrow. She would excuse herself, say she had been detained, and -before then she would perhaps have obtained the six francs. As Denise -avoided the slightest expense, she went to bed early. What could she do -out-of-doors, penniless and wild, and still frightened by the big city -in which she only knew the streets around the shop? After venturing -as far as the Palais-Royal for the sake of a little fresh air, she -would quickly return, lock herself in her room and set about sewing or -washing. - -Along the corridor conducting to the bed-rooms reigned a barrack-like -promiscuity--the girls, who were often not very tidy, would gossip -there over dirty water and dirty linen, break into frequent quarrels -and patch up continual reconciliations. They were prohibited from -going up to their rooms in the day-time; they did not live there, but -merely slept there at night, climbing the stairs only at the last -minute, and coming down again in the morning when still half asleep, -hardly awakened by a rapid wash; and this hurry-skurry which night and -morning swept through the corridor, the fatigue of thirteen hours' -work which threw them all on their beds thoroughly worn out, made the -upper part of the house like an inn traversed by tired and illtempered -travellers. Denise had no friend. Of all the young ladies, one alone, -Pauline Cugnot, showed her a little affection; and the mantle and -under-clothing departments being close to one another, and in open war, -the sympathy between the two saleswomen had hitherto been confined -to a few rare words hastily exchanged. Pauline certainly occupied a -neighbouring room, to the right of Denise's; but as she disappeared -immediately after dinner and only returned at eleven o'clock, the -latter simply heard her get into bed, and never met her after business -hours. - -That evening, Denise had made up her mind to play the part of bootmaker -once more. She was holding her shoes, turning them about and wondering -how she could make them last another month. At last she decided to take -a strong needle and sew on the soles, which were threatening to leave -the uppers. Meantime a collar and a pair of cuffs were soaking in a -basinful of soapsuds. - -Every evening she heard the same sounds, the girls coming up one by -one, brief whispered conversations, bursts of laughter and sometimes -disputes which they stifled as much as possible. Then the beds creaked, -the tired occupants yawned, and fell into heavy slumber. Denise's left -hand neighbour often talked in her sleep, which at first frightened -her very much. Perhaps others, like herself, stopped up to mend their -things, in spite of the regulations; but if so they probably took the -same precautions as she did, moving with prudent care, and avoiding the -least noise, for a quivering silence prevailed behind the closed doors. - -It had struck eleven some ten minutes previously when a sound of -footsteps made Denise raise her head. Another young lady late, thought -she. And she realised that it was Pauline, by hearing the door next to -her own open. - -But she was astonished when Pauline quietly came back into the passage -and knocked at her door. - -"Make haste, it's me!" - -The saleswomen were forbidden to visit each other in their rooms, and -Denise quickly unlocked her door, in order that her neighbour might -not be caught by Madame Cabin, who was supposed to see this regulation -strictly carried out. - -"Was she there?" asked Denise, when the other had entered. - -"Who? Madame Cabin?" replied Pauline. "Oh, I'm not afraid of her, -she's easily settled with a five-franc piece!" And then she added: -"I've wanted to have a talk with you for a long time past. But it's -impossible to do so downstairs. Besides, you looked so down-hearted -to-night at table." - -Denise thanked her, and, touched by her good-natured air invited her -to sit down. But in the bewilderment, caused by this unexpected visit -she had not laid down the shoe she was mending, and Pauline at once -perceived it. She shook her head, looked round and espied the collar -and cuffs in the basin. - -"My poor child, I thought as much," resumed she. "Ah, I know what it -is! When I first came up from Chartres, and old Cugnot didn't send me a -sou, I many a time washed my own chemises! Yes, yes, my chemises! I had -only two, and there was always one in soak." - -She sat down, still out of breath from running. Her broad face, -with small bright eyes, and big tender mouth, possessed a certain -grace, notwithstanding its rather coarse features. And, without any -transition, all of a sudden, she began to relate her story; her -childhood at the mill; old Cugnot ruined by a law-suit; she sent to -Paris to make her fortune with twenty francs in her pocket; then her -start as a saleswoman in a shop at Batignolles, then at The Ladies' -Paradise--a terrible start, every suffering and privation imaginable; -and at last her present life, the two hundred francs she earned each -month, the pleasures she indulged in, the carelessness in which -she allowed her days to glide away. Some jewellery, a brooch, and -watch-chain, glistened on her close-fitting gown of dark-blue cloth; -and she smiled from under a velvet toque ornamented with a large grey -feather. - -Denise had turned very red, worried with reference to her shoe; and -began to stammer out an explanation. - -"But the same thing happened to me," repeated Pauline. "Come, come, I'm -older than you, I'm over twenty-six, though I don't look it. Just tell -me your little troubles." - -Thereupon Denise yielded to this friendship so frankly offered. She -sat down in her petticoat, with an old shawl over her shoulders, near -Pauline in full dress; and an interesting gossip ensued. - -It was freezing in the room, the cold seemed to run down the -bare prison-like walls; but they were so fully taken up by their -conversation that they did not notice that their fingers were almost -frost-bitten. Little by little, Denise opened her heart entirely, spoke -of Jean and Pépé, and of how grievously the money question tortured -her; which led them both to abuse the young ladies in the mantle -department. Pauline relieved her mind. "Oh, the hussies!" said she, "if -they treated you in a proper way, you might make more than a hundred -francs a month." - -"Everybody is down on me, and I'm sure I don't know why," answered -Denise, beginning to cry. "Look at Monsieur Bourdoncle, he's always -watching me, trying to find me in fault just as if I were in his way. -Old Jouve is about the only one----" - -The other interrupted her. "What, that old ape of an inspector! Ah! my -dear, don't you trust him. He may display his decoration as much as -he likes, but there's a story about something that happened to him in -our department. But what a child you are to grieve like this! What a -misfortune it is to be so sensitive! Of course, what is happening to -you happens to every one; they are making you pay your footing." - -Then carried away by her good heart she caught hold of Denise's hands -and kissed her. The money-question was a graver one. Certainly a poor -girl could not support her two brothers, pay the little one's board -and lodging, and stand treat for the big one's sweethearts with the -few paltry sous she picked up from the others' cast-off customers; for -it was to be feared that she would not get any salary until business -improved in March. - -"Listen to me, it's impossible for you to live in this way any longer. -If I were you----" said Pauline. - -But a noise in the corridor stopped her. It was probably Marguerite, -who was accused of prowling about at night to spy upon the others. -Pauline, who was still pressing her friend's hand, looked at her for -a moment in silence, listening. Then, with an air of affectionate -conviction, she began to whisper to her. - -Denise did not understand at first, and when she did, she withdrew her -hands, looking very confused by what her friend had told her. "Oh! no," -she replied simply. - -"Then," continued Pauline, "you'll never manage, I tell you so, -plainly. Here are the figures: forty francs for the little one, a -five-franc piece now and again for the big one; and then there's -yourself, you can't always go about dressed like a pauper, with shoes -that make the other girls laugh at you; yes, really, your shoes do you -a deal of harm. It would be much better to do as I tell you." - -"No, no," repeated Denise. - -"Well! you are very foolish. It's inevitable, my dear, we all come to -it sooner or later. Look at me, I was a probationer, like you, without -a sou. We are boarded and lodged, it's true; but there's our dress; -besides, it's impossible to go without a copper in one's pocket and -shut oneself up in one's room, watching the flies. So you see girls -forcibly drift into it." - -She then spoke of her first admirer, a lawyer's clerk whom she had -met at a party at Meudon. After him, had come a post-office clerk. -And, finally, ever since the autumn, she had been keeping company with -a salesman at the Bon Marché, a very nice tall fellow. However, her -advice had no effect whatever upon Denise. - -"No," the latter replied in a tone of decision; and a fresh silence -fell. In the small cold room they were smiling at each other, greatly -affected by this whispered conversation. "Besides, one must have -affection for some one," she resumed, her cheeks quite scarlet. - -Pauline was astonished. She set up a laugh, and embraced her a second -time exclaiming: "But, my darling, when you meet and like each other! -You are really droll! Look here, would you like Baugé to take us -somewhere in the country on Sunday? He'll bring one of his friends." - -"No," again said Denise in her gently obstinate way. - -Then Pauline insisted no further. Each was free to act as she pleased. -What she had said was out of pure kindness of heart, for she felt -really grieved to see a comrade so miserable. And as it was nearly -midnight, she got up to leave. But before doing so she forced Denise to -accept the six francs she wanted to make up Pépé's board-money, begging -her not to trouble about the matter, but to repay her the amount -whenever she earned more. - -"Now," she added, "blow your candle out, so that they may not see which -door opens; you can light it again immediately afterwards." - -The candle having been extinguished, they shook hands; and then Pauline -ran off to her room, giving no sign of her passage through the darkness -save the vague rustling of her petticoats amidst the deep slumber that -had fallen on the occupants of the other little rooms. - -Before going to bed Denise wished to finish her boot and do her -washing. The cold became sharper still as the night advanced; but -she did not feel it, the conversation had stirred her heart's blood. -She was not shocked; it seemed to her that every woman had a right -to arrange her life as she liked, when she was alone and free in the -world. For her own part, however, she had never given way to such -ideas; her sense of right and her healthy nature naturally maintained -her in the respectability in which she had always lived. At last, -towards one o'clock she went to bed. No, she thought, she did not -love any one. So what was the use of upsetting her life, the maternal -devotion which she had vowed for her two brothers? However, she did not -sleep; insomnia gained upon her and a crowd of indistinct forms flitted -before her closed eyes, then vanished in the darkness. - -From that time forward Denise took an interest in the love-stories of -the department. During slack times the girls were constantly occupied -with their amatory affairs. Gossiping tales flew about, stories of -adventures which amused them all for a week. Clara was a scandal and -merely remained at the shop under pretence of leading a respectable -life in order to shield herself from her family; for she was mortally -afraid of old Prunaire, who had threatened to come to Paris and -break her arms and legs with his clogs. Marguerite, on the contrary, -behaved very well, and was not known to have any lover; which caused -some surprise, for all knew of the circumstances which had led to her -arrival in Paris. The young women also joked about Madame Frédéric, -declaring that she was discreetly connected with certain great -personages; but the truth was they knew nothing of her love-affairs; -for she disappeared every evening, stiff as starch with her widow's -sulkiness, and apparently always in a great hurry, though nobody -knew whither she hastened so eagerly. As for the tittle-tattle about -Madame Aurélie this was certainly false; mere invention, spread abroad -by discontented saleswomen just for fun. Perhaps she had formerly -displayed rather more than a motherly feeling for one of her son's -friends, but she now occupied too high a position in the business to -indulge in such childishness. Then there was the flock, the crowd of -the girls going off in the evening, nine out of every ten having young -men waiting for them at the door. On the Place Gaillon, along the Rue -de la Michodière, and the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, there was always a -troop of motionless sentries watching for the girls' departure; and, -when the _défilé_ began, each gave his arm to his lady and walked -away. It was like the stage-door exit of some theatre where figurantes -predominate. - -What most troubled Denise, however, was that she had discovered -Colomban's secret. He was continually to be seen on the other side of -the street, on the threshold of The Old Elbeuf, his eyes raised and -never quitting the young ladies of the jacket and mantle department. -When he espied Denise watching him he blushed and turned away his head, -as if afraid that she might betray him to Geneviève, although there -had been no further connection between the Baudus and their niece -since her engagement at The Ladies' Paradise. At first, on seeing his -despairing airs, she had fancied that he was in love with Marguerite, -for Marguerite, being very well-conducted, and sleeping in the house, -was not easy to approach. But great was her astonishment to find that -Colomban's ardent glances were intended for Clara. For months past he -had been devoured by passion in this way, remaining on the other side -of the street and lacking the courage to declare himself; and this for -a girl who was perfectly free, who lived in the Rue Louis-le-Grand, -and whom he could have spoken to any evening! Clara herself appeared -to have no idea of her conquest. Denise's discovery filled her with -painful emotion. Was love so idiotic then? What! this fellow, who had -real happiness within his reach, was ruining his life for the sake of -that good-for-nothing girl whom he adored as reverently as if she had -been a saint! From that day forward she felt a heart pang each time she -espied Geneviève's pale suffering face behind the greeny panes of The -Old Elbeuf. - -In the evening, Denise could not help thinking a great deal, on seeing -the young ladies march off with their sweethearts. She was sometimes -obliged to reply by a smile to a friendly nod from Pauline, for whom -Baugé waited regularly every evening at half-past eight, beside the -fountain on the Place Gaillon. Then, after going out the last and -taking a furtive walk, always alone, she was invariably the first -to return, going upstairs to work, or to sleep, her head full of -dreams, inquisitive as to the outdoor life of the others, of which she -knew nothing. She certainly did not envy them, she was happy in her -solitude, in the unsociableness in which she shut herself up, as in a -hiding-place; but all the same her imagination carried her away, she -would try to guess things, picture the pleasures constantly described -before her, the cafés, the restaurants, the theatres, the Sundays spent -on the river and in the country taverns. Quite a weariness of mind, a -desire mingled with lassitude resulted from these imaginings; and she -seemed to have already had her fill of amusements which she had never -tasted. - -However, there was but little room for dangerous dreams in her daily -working life. During the thirteen hours of hard toil in the shop, -there was no time for any display of affection between the salesmen -and the saleswomen. If the continual fight for money had not abolished -all sexual difference, the unceasing press of business which occupied -their minds and fatigued their bodies would have sufficed to stifle -desire. But very few love-affairs had been known in the establishment -amidst the various hostilities and friendships between the men and -the women, the constant elbowing from department to department. They -were all nothing but pieces of mechanism forced to contribute of the -working of the immense machine, abdicating all individuality and simply -contributing their strength to the total, commonplace, phalansterian -power. It was only outside the shop that they resumed their individual -lives, with a sudden flaming of awakened passion. - -Denise, however, one day saw Albert Lhomme slip a note into the hand -of a young lady in the under-clothing department, after several times -passing by with an air of indifference. The dead season, which lasts -from December to February, was commencing; and she now had periods of -rest, hours spent on her feet with her eyes wandering all over the -shop whilst waiting for customers. The young ladies of her department -were especially friendly with the salesmen who served the lace, but -their intimacy never seemed to go any further than whispered banter. -In the lace department there was a second-hand, a gay young spark who -pursued Clara with all sorts of suggestive stories, simply by way of -a joke--for he really cared so little for her that he made no effort -to meet her out of doors; and thus it was from counter to counter, the -gentlemen and the young ladies would exchange winks, nods, and remarks, -which they alone understood. At times with their backs half turned and -a dreamy look on their faces in order to put the terrible Bourdoncle -off the scent, they would indulge in some sly gossip. As for Deloche, -he long contented himself with smiling at Denise when he met her; but, -getting bolder, he at last occasionally murmured a friendly word. On -the day she had noticed Madame Aurélie's son giving a note to the young -lady in the under-linen department, it precisely happened that Deloche -was asking her if she had enjoyed her lunch, feeling a desire to say -something, and unable to think of anything more amiable. He also saw -the billet pass; and as he glanced at the young girl, they both blushed -at thought of this intrigue carried on under their eyes. - -But despite all these occurrences which gradually awoke the woman in -her, Denise still retained her infantile peace of mind. The one thing -that stirred her heart was to meet Hutin. But even this was only -gratitude in her eyes; she simply thought herself touched by the young -man's politeness. He could not bring a customer to the department -without making her feel quite confused. Several times, on returning -from a pay-desk, she found herself making a _détour_, and traversing -the silk hall though she had no business there, her bosom heaving the -while with emotion. One afternoon she met Mouret there and he seemed -to follow her with a smile. He paid scarcely any attention to her now, -only addressing a few words to her from time to time, to give her a few -hints about her toilet, and to joke with her, as an impossible girl, a -little savage, almost a boy, whom he would never manage to transform -into a coquette, notwithstanding all his knowledge of women. Sometimes -indeed he even ventured to laugh at her and tease her, without caring -to acknowledge to himself the troublous feeling, the charm which this -little saleswoman, with such a comical head of hair, inspired in -him. And that afternoon at sight of his mute smile, Denise trembled, -as if she were in fault. Did he know why she was crossing the silk -department, when she could not herself have explained what had impelled -her to make such a _détour_? - -Hutin, moreover, did not seem to be at all aware of the young girl's -grateful looks. The shop-girls were not his style, he affected to -despise them, boasting more than ever of his pretended adventures with -the lady customers. - -One day a baroness had beamed on him, he would relate, and on another -occasion he had fascinated the wife of an eminent architect. But as -a matter of fact his only conquests were among girls at cafés and -music-halls. Like all young men in the drapery line, he had a mania for -spending, battling throughout the week with a miser's greediness, with -the sole object of squandering his money on Sundays on the race-courses -or in the restaurants and dancing-saloons. He never thought of saving -a penny, but spent his salary as soon as he drew it, absolutely -indifferent about the future. Favier did not join him in these pleasure -parties. Hutin and he, so friendly in the shop, bowed to each other -at the door, where all further intercourse between them ceased. A -great many of the shopmen, always side by side indoors, became perfect -strangers, ignorant of each other's lives, as soon as they set foot in -the streets. However, Hutin, had an intimate--Liénard of the woollen -department. Both lived in the same lodging-house, the Hôtel de Smyrne, -in the Rue Sainte-Anne, a murky building entirely inhabited by shop -assistants. In the morning they arrived at the Paradise together; and -in the evening, the first who found himself free, after the folding -was done, waited for the other at the Café Saint-Roch, in the Rue -Saint-Roch, a little place where many employees of The Ladies' Paradise -met, brawling, drinking, and playing cards amidst the smoke of their -pipes. They often stopped there till one in the morning, until indeed -the tired landlord turned them out. For the last month, however, -they had been spending three evenings a week at a free-and-easy at -Montmartre; whither they would take their friends in order to fan the -success of Mademoiselle Laure, a music-hall singer, Hutin's latest -conquest, whose talent they applauded with such violent rapping of -their walking-sticks and such clamorous shouts that on two occasions -the police had been obliged to interfere. - -The winter passed in this way, and at last Denise obtained a fixed -salary of three hundred francs a-year. It was quite time she did so for -her shoes were completely worn out. For the last month she had avoided -going out, for fear of bursting them altogether. - -"What a noise you make with your shoes, mademoiselle!" Madame Aurélie -very often remarked, with an irritated look. "It's intolerable. What's -the matter with your feet?" - -On the day when Denise came down wearing a pair of cloth boots, -which had cost her five francs, Marguerite and Clara expressed their -astonishment in a kind of half whisper, so as to be heard. "Hullo! the -unkempt one, has given up her goloshes," said the former. - -"Ah," retorted the other, "she must have cried over them. They were her -mother's." - -In point of fact, there was a general uprising against Denise. The -girls of her department had discovered her friendship with Pauline, and -thought they detected a certain bravado in this display of affection -for a saleswoman of a rival counter. They spoke of treason, accused her -of going and repeating their slightest words to their enemies. The war -between the two departments became more violent than ever, it had never -waxed so warm; angry words were exchanged like cannon shots, and a slap -even was given one evening behind some boxes of chemises. Possibly this -long-standing quarrel arose from the fact that the young ladies in the -under-linen department wore woollen gowns, whilst those of the mantles -wore silk. In any case, the former spoke of their neighbours with the -shocked air of respectable women; and facts proved that they were -right, for it had been remarked that the silk dresses appeared to lead -to dissolute habits among the young ladies who wore them. Clara was -taunted with her troop of lovers; even Marguerite had her child thrown -in her teeth, as it were; whilst Madame Frédéric was accused of all -sorts of secret passions. And all this solely on account of Denise! - -"Now, young ladies, no ugly words; behave yourselves!" Madame Aurélie -would say with her imperial air, amidst the rising passions of her -little kingdom. "Show who you are." - -At heart she preferred to remain neutral. As she confessed one day, -when talking to Mouret, these girls were all about the same, one was -no better than another. But she suddenly became impassioned when she -learnt from Bourdoncle that he had just caught her son downstairs -kissing a young girl belonging to the under-linen department, the -saleswoman to whom he had passed several letters. It was abominable, -and she roundly accused the under-linen department of having laid a -trap for Albert. Yes, it was a got-up affair against herself, they -were trying to dishonour her by ruining an inexperienced boy, after -finding it impossible to attack her department. Her only object however -in making such a noise was to complicate the business, for she was -well aware of her son's character and knew him to be capable of all -sorts of stupid things. For a time the matter threatened to assume a -serious aspect; Mignot, the glove salesman, was mixed up in it. He -was a great friend of Albert's, and the rumour circulated that he -favoured the girls whom Albert sent him and who rummaged in his boxes -for hours together. There was also a story about some Suède kid gloves -given to the saleswoman of the under-linen department, which was never -properly cleared up. At last the scandal was stifled out of regard for -Madame Aurélie, whom Mouret himself treated with deference. Bourdoncle -contented himself a week later with dismissing, for some slight -offence, the girl who had allowed herself to be kissed. At all events -if the managers closed their eyes to the terrible doings of their -employees out of doors, they did not tolerate the least nonsense in the -house. - -And it was Denise who suffered for all this. Madame Aurélie, although -perfectly well aware of what was going on, nourished a secret rancour -against her; and seeing her laughing one evening with Pauline she also -took it for bravado, concluding that they were gossiping over her son's -love-affairs. And she thereupon sought to increase the girl's isolation -in the department. For some time she had been thinking of inviting the -young ladies to spend a Sunday at Les Rigolles near Rambouillet where -she had bought a country house with the first hundred thousand francs -she had saved; and she suddenly decided to do so; it would be a means -of punishing Denise, of putting her openly on one side. She was the -only one not invited. For a fortnight in advance, nothing was talked of -but this pleasure party; the girls kept their eyes on the sky already -warmed by the May sunshine, and mapped out the whole day, looking -forward to all sorts of pleasures: donkey-riding, milk and brown bread. -And they were to be all women, which was more amusing still! As a rule, -Madame Aurélie killed her holidays like this, in going out with lady -friends; for she was so little accustomed to being at home, she always -felt so uncomfortable, so out of her element on the rare occasions -when she could dine with her husband and son, that she preferred -even not to avail herself of the opportunity but to go and dine at a -restaurant. Lhomme went his own way, enraptured to resume his bachelor -existence, and Albert, greatly relieved, hastened off to his beauties; -so that, unaccustomed to home-life, feeling they were in each other's -way, bored to death whenever they were together on a Sunday, they paid -nothing more than flying visits to the house, as to some common hotel -where people take a bed for the night. With respect to the excursion -to Rambouillet, Madame Aurélie simply declared that considerations of -propriety would not allow Albert to join them, and that the father -himself would display great tact by refusing to come; a declaration -which enchanted both men. However, the happy day was drawing near, and -the girls chattered away more than ever, relating their preparations -in the way of dress, just as if they were going on a six months' tour, -whilst Denise had to listen to them, pale and silent in her abandonment. - -"Ah, they make you wild, don't they?" said Pauline to her one morning. -"If I were you I would just catch them nicely! They are going to enjoy -themselves. I would enjoy myself too. Come with us on Sunday, Baugé is -going to take me to Joinville." - -"No, thanks," said the girl with her quiet obstinacy. - -"But why not? Are you still afraid of being made love to?" - -And thereupon Pauline laughed heartily. Denise also smiled. She -knew how such things came about; it was always during some similar -excursions that the young ladies had made the acquaintance of their -lovers. - -"Come," resumed Pauline, "I assure you that Baugé won't bring any one. -We shall be all by ourselves. As you don't want me to, I won't go and -marry you off, of course." - -Denise hesitated, tormented by such a strong desire to go that the -blood rushed to her cheeks. Since the girls had been talking about -their country pleasures she had felt stifled, overcome by a longing -for fresh air, dreaming of tall grass into which she might sink to the -neck, and of giant trees whose shadows would flow over her like so -much cooling water. Her childhood, spent amidst the rich verdure of Le -Cotentin, was awakening with a regret for sun and air. - -"Well! yes," said she at last. - -Then everything was soon arranged. Baugé was to come and fetch them at -eight o'clock, on the Place Gaillon; whence they would take a cab to -the Vincennes Station. Denise, whose twenty-five francs a month was -quickly exhausted by the children, had only been able to do up her old -black woollen dress by trimming it with some strips of check poplin; -but she had made herself a bonnet, by covering a shape with some silk -and ornamenting it with blue ribbon. In this quiet attire she looked -very young, like an overgrown girl, displaying all the cleanliness -of careful poverty, and somewhat shamefaced, and embarrassed by her -luxuriant hair, which waved round the bareness of her bonnet. Pauline, -on the contrary, displayed a pretty spring costume in silk, striped -white and violet, a feathered bonnet, with bows matching the dress, -and jewels about her neck and rings on her fingers, which gave her -the appearance of a well-to-do tradesman's wife. It was like a Sunday -revenge on the woollen gown which she was obliged to wear throughout -the week in the shop; whereas Denise, who wore her uniform silk from -Monday to Saturday, resumed, on Sundays, her thin woollen dress of -poverty-stricken aspect. - -"There's Baugé," said Pauline, pointing to a tall young man standing -near the fountain. - -And thereupon she introduced her lover, and Denise felt at her ease -at once, he seemed such a nice fellow. Big, and strong as an ox, with -a long Flemish face, in which his expressionless eyes twinkled with -infantile puerility, Baugé was the younger son of a grocer of Dunkerque -and had come to Paris, almost driven from home by his father and -brother, who thought him a fearful dunce. However, he now made three -thousand five hundred francs a year at the Bon Marché. Certainly in -some things he was rather stupid, but he proved a very good hand in the -linen department. - -"And the cab?" asked Pauline. - -They had to go on foot as far as the Boulevard. The sun was already -warming the streets and the glorious May morning seemed to be smiling -on the pavements. There was not a cloud in the sky; all was gay in the -blue air, transparent as crystal. An involuntary smile played about -Denise's lips; she breathed freely; it seemed to her that her bosom -was throwing off a stifling fit of six months duration. At last she no -longer felt the stuffy air and the heavy stones of The Ladies' Paradise -weighing her down! She had the prospect of a long day in the country -before her! and it was like a new lease of life, an infinite delight, -into which she entered with all the glee of a little child. However, -when they were in the cab, she turned her eyes away, feeling ill at -ease as Pauline bent over to kiss her lover. - -"Oh, look!" said she, her head still at the window, "there's Monsieur -Lhomme. How he does walk!" - -"He's got his French horn," added Pauline, leaning out. "What an old -fool he is! One would think he was running off to meet his girl!" - -Lhomme, with his nose in the air, and his instrument under his arm, -was spinning along past the Gymnase Theatre, laughing with delight at -the thought of the treat in store for him. He was about to spend the -day with a friend, a flautist at a petty theatre, in whose rooms a -few amateurs indulged in a little chamber-music on Sundays as soon as -breakfast was over. - -"At eight o'clock! what a madman!" resumed Pauline. "And you know that -Madame Aurélie and her clique must have taken the Rambouillet train -that left at half-past six. It's very certain the husband and wife -won't come across each other to-day." - -Both then began talking of the Rambouillet excursion. They did not -wish it to be rainy for the others, because they themselves might -suffer as well; still, if a cloud could only burst over there without -a drop falling at Joinville, it would be funny all the same. Then they -attacked Clara, who hardly knew how to spend the money she made by her -vices. Hadn't she bought three pairs of boots all at the same time, and -thrown them away the next day, after slashing them with her scissors, -on account of her feet, which were covered with corns? In fact, the -young ladies were just as bad as the young men, they squandered -everything, never saving a sou, but wasting two or three hundred francs -a month on dress and dainties. - -"But he's only got one arm," all of a sudden said Baugé, who had kept -his eyes on Lhomme. "How does he manage to play the French horn?" - -Pauline, who sometimes amused herself by playing on her lover's -stupidity, thereupon told him that the cashier kept the instrument up -by leaning it against a wall. He thoroughly believed her, and thought -it very ingenious. And when, stricken with remorse, she explained to -him that Lhomme had adapted to his stump a system of claws which he -made use of as fingers, he shook his head, full of doubt and declaring -that they wouldn't make him swallow that. - -"You are really too stupid!" she retorted, laughing. "Never mind, I -love you all the same." - -They reached the station of the Vincennes line just in time for a -train. Baugé paid; but Denise had previously declared that she wished -to defray her share of the expenses; they would settle up in the -evening. They took second-class tickets, and found the train full -of a gay, noisy throng. At Nogent, a wedding-party got out, amidst -a storm of laughter. Then, at last they arrived at Joinville, and -went straight to the island to order lunch; and afterwards lingered -there, strolling along, under the tall poplars beside the Marne. -It was rather cold in the shade, a sharp breeze was blowing in the -sunshine, gathering strength as it swept from the distance over a -plain dotted with cultivated fields, on the other side of the river. -Denise lingered behind Pauline and her lover, who walked along with -their arms round each other's waists. She had picked a handful of -buttercups, and was watching the flow of the river, happy, but her -heart beating and her head drooping, each time that Baugé leant over -to kiss his sweetheart. Her eyes filled with tears. And yet she was -not suffering. What could be the matter with her that she experienced -this feeling of suffocation? Why did this vast landscape, amidst which -she had looked forward to so much enjoyment, fill her with a vague -regret that she could not explain? However, at lunch, Pauline's noisy -laughter bewildered her. That young woman, who loved the suburbs -with the passion of an actress living in the gas-light, in the heavy -atmosphere of a crowd, wanted to lunch in an arbour, notwithstanding -the sharp wind. She made merry over the sudden gusts which blew up the -table-cloth, and thought the arbour very funny in its bareness, with -its freshly-painted trellis-work which cast a reflection on the cloth. -She ate ravenously, devouring everything with the voracity of one who, -being badly fed at the shop, made up for it out of doors by giving -herself an indigestion of all the things she liked. This was indeed her -vice, she spent most of her money on cakes and indigestible dainties, -tit-bits of all kinds, which she hastily nibbled in leisure moments. -Now, however, as Denise seemed to have had enough with the eggs, fried -fish, and stewed chicken, she restrained herself, not daring to order -any strawberries which were still very dear, for fear of running the -bill up too high. - -"Now, what are we going to do?" asked Baugé, when the coffee was served. - -As a rule Pauline and he returned to Paris to dine, and finish their -outing in some theatre. But at Denise's request, they decided to -remain at Joinville all day: it would be droll, they would take a fill -of the country. So they wandered about the fields all the afternoon. -They spoke for a moment of going for a row, but abandoned the idea -as Baugé was not a good waterman. However, their strolls along the -pathways ended by bringing them back to the banks of the Marne, all -the same, and they became interested in all the river life, the -squadrons of yawls and skiffs, and the young men who formed the crews. -The sun was setting and they were returning towards Joinville, when -they saw two boats coming down stream at a racing speed, their crews -meantime exchanging volleys of insults, in which the repeated cries of -"Sawbones!" and "Counter-jumpers!" predominated. - -"Hallo!" said Pauline, "it's Monsieur Hutin." - -"Yes," replied Baugé, shading his face with his hand, "I recognise his -mahogany boat. The other one is manned by students, no doubt." - -Thereupon he explained the deadly hatred existing between the students -and the shopmen. Denise, on hearing Hutin's name mentioned, had -suddenly stopped, and with fixed eyes followed the frail skiff. She -tried to distinguish the young man among the rowers, but could only -manage to make out the white dresses of two women, one of whom, who was -steering, wore a red hat. Then the voices of the disputants died away -amidst the loud flow of the river. - -"Pitch 'em in, the sawbones!" - -"Duck 'em, the counter-jumpers!" - -In the evening they returned to the restaurant on the island. But it -had turned very chilly and they were obliged to dine in one of the -closed rooms, where the table-cloths were still damp from the humidity -of winter. At six o'clock the tables were already crowded, yet the -excursionists still hurried in, looking for vacant corners; and the -waiters continued bringing in more chairs and forms, putting the plates -closer and closer together and crowding the people up. Cold as it had -been before, the atmosphere now became stifling and they had to open -the windows. Out of doors, the day was waning, a greenish twilight fell -from the poplars so quickly that the landlord, unprepared for these -repasts under cover, and having no lamps, was obliged to put a candle -on each table. What with the laughter, the calls and the clatter of -plates and dishes the uproar became deafening; the candles flared and -guttered in the draught from the open windows, whilst moths fluttered -about in the air warmed by the odour of the food, and traversed by -sudden cold gusts of wind. - -"What fun they're having, eh?" said Pauline, very busy with a plate of -stewed eels, which she declared extraordinary. And she leant over to -add: "Didn't you see Monsieur Albert over there?" - -It was really young Lhomme, in the midst of three questionable women. -Already intoxicated, he was knocking his glass on the table, and -talking of drubbing the waiter if he did not bring some _liqueurs_ -immediately. - -"Well!" resumed Pauline, "there's a family for you! the mother is at -Rambouillet, the father in Paris, and the son at Joinville; they won't -tread on one another's toes to-day!" - -Denise, though she detested noise, was smiling and tasting the delight -of being unable to think, amid such uproar. But all at once they heard -a commotion in the other room, a burst of voices which drowned all -others. Men were yelling, and must have come to blows, for one could -hear a scuffle, chairs falling, quite a struggle indeed, amid which the -river-cries again resounded: - -"Duck 'em, the counter-jumpers!" - -"Pitch 'em in, the sawbones!" - -And when the landlord's loud voice had calmed this tempest, Hutin, -wearing a red jersey, and with a little cap at the back of his head, -suddenly made his appearance, having on his arm the tall, fair girl, -who had been steering his boat and who by way of wearing the crew's -colours, had planted a bunch of poppies behind her ear. Clamorous -applause greeted their entry; and Hutin, his face beaming with pride -at thus being remarked, threw his chest forward and assumed a nautical -rolling gait, displaying the while a bruised cheek, quite blue from a -blow he had received. Behind him and his companion followed the crew. -They took a table by storm, and the uproar became deafening. - -"It appears," explained Baugé, after listening to the conversation -behind him, "it appears that the students recognised the woman with -Hutin as an old friend from their neighbourhood, who now sings in a -music-hall at Montmartre. So they were kicking up a row about her." - -"In any case," said Pauline, stiffly, "she's precious ugly, with her -carroty hair. Really, I don't know where Monsieur Hutin picks them up, -but they're an ugly, dirty lot." - -Denise had turned pale, and felt an icy coldness, as if her heart's -blood were flowing away, drop by drop. Already, on seeing the boats -from the bank she had felt a shiver; but now she no longer had any -doubt at seeing that girl with Hutin. With trembling hands, and a -choking sensation in her throat, she suddenly ceased to eat. - -"What's the matter?" asked her friend. - -"Nothing," she stammered, "but it's rather warm here." - -However Hutin's table was close to theirs, and when Hutin perceived -Baugé, whom he knew, he commenced a conversation in a shrill voice, in -order to attract further attention. - -"I say," he cried, "are you as virtuous as ever at the Bon Marché?" - -"Not so much as all that," replied Baugé, turning very red. - -"That won't do! You know there's a confessional box at your place for -the salesmen who venture to look at the young ladies there. No, no! A -house where they insist on their employees marrying, that won't do for -me!" - -The other fellows began to laugh, and Liénard who was one of Hutin's -crew added some jocular remark about the Louvre establishment at which -Pauline herself burst into a merry peal. - -Baugé, however, was annoyed by the joke about the staid propriety and -innocence of his establishment, and all at once he retorted: "Oh, you -needn't talk, you are not so well off at The Ladies' Paradise. Sacked -for the slightest thing! And a governor too who is always smirking -round his lady customers." - -Hutin no longer listened to him, but began to praise the Place Clichy -establishment. He knew a girl there who was so inexpressibly dignified -that customers dared not speak to her for fear of humiliating her. -Then, drawing up closer, he related that he had made a hundred and -fifteen francs that week; oh! a capital week. Favier had been left -behind with merely fifty-two francs, in fact the whole lot had been -floored. And it could be seen that he was telling the truth. He was -squandering his cash as fast as possible and did not mean to go to bed -till he had rid himself of the hundred and fifteen francs. Then, as he -gradually became intoxicated, he fell foul of Robineau, that fool of a -second-hand who affected to keep himself apart, to such a point that he -refused to walk down the street with one of his salesmen. - -"Shut up," said Liénard; "you talk too much, old man." - -The heat had yet increased, the candles were guttering down on to the -wine-stained table-cloths; and through the open windows, whenever the -noise within ceased for an instant, there came a distant prolonged -murmur, the voice of the river, and of the lofty poplars falling asleep -in the calm night. Baugé had just called for the bill, seeing that -Denise was no better; indeed she was now quite white, choking from the -tears she withheld; however, the waiter did not appear, and she had to -submit to more of Hutin's loud talk. He was now boasting of being much -superior to Liénard, because Liénard simply squandered his father's -money, whereas he, Hutin, spent his own earnings, the fruit of his -intelligence. At last Baugé paid, and the two girls went out. - -Denise heaved a sigh of relief. For a moment she had thought she was -going to die in that suffocating heat, amidst all those cries; and she -still attributed her faintness to want of air. At present she could -breathe freely in the freshness of the starry night. - -As the two young women were leaving the garden of the restaurant, a -timid voice murmured in the shade: "Good evening, ladies." - -It was Deloche. They had not seen him at the further end of the front -room, where he had been dining alone, after coming from Paris on foot, -for the pleasure of the walk. On recognising his friendly voice, -Denise, suffering as she was, yielded mechanically to the need of some -support. - -"Monsieur Deloche," said she, "are you coming back with us? Give me -your arm." - -Pauline and Baugé had already gone on in front. They were astonished, -never thinking it would turn out like that, and with that fellow above -all. However, as there was still an hour before the train started, -they went to the end of the island, following the bank, under the tall -poplars; and, from time to time, they turned round, murmuring: "But -where have they got to? Ah, there they are. It's rather funny, all the -same." - -At first Denise and Deloche remained silent. The uproar from the -restaurant was slowly dying away, changing into a musical sweetness -in the calmness of the night; and still feverish from that furnace, -whose lights were disappearing one by one behind the foliage, they -went further in amidst the coolness of the trees. Opposite them there -was a sort of shadowy wall, a mass of shadow so dense that they could -not even distinguish any trace of the path. However, they went forward -quietly, without fear. Then, their eyes getting more accustomed to the -darkness, they saw on the right hand the trunks of the poplar trees, -resembling sombre columns upholding the domes of their branches, -between which gleamed the stars; whilst the water occasionally shone -like a mirror. The wind was falling and they no longer heard anything -but the loud flow of the stream. - -"I am very pleased to have met you," stammered Deloche at last, making -up his mind to speak first. "You can't think how happy you render me in -consenting to walk with me." - -And, aided by the darkness, after many awkward attempts, he ventured to -tell her that he loved her. He had long wanted to write to her and tell -her so; but perhaps she would never have known it had it not been for -that lovely night coming to his assistance, that water which murmured -so softly, and those trees which screened them with their shade. -However, she did not reply; she continued to walk by his side with the -same suffering air. And he was trying to gaze into her face, when all -at once he heard a sob. - -"Oh! good heavens!" he exclaimed, "you are crying, mademoiselle, you -are crying! Have I offended you?" - -"No, no," she murmured. - -She strove to keep back her tears, but could not do so. Even whilst she -was at table, she had thought that her heart was about to burst. And -now in the darkness she surrendered herself to her sensibility, stifled -by her sobs and thinking that if Hutin had been in Deloche's place and -had said such tender things to her, she would have been unable to say -nay. But this self-confession suddenly filled her with confusion, and a -burning flush of shame suffused her face. - -"I didn't mean to offend you," continued Deloche, almost crying also. - -"No, but listen," she replied, her voice still trembling; "I am not at -all angry with you. But never speak to me again as you have just done. -Oh! you're a good fellow, and I'm quite willing to be your friend, but -nothing more. You understand--your friend." - -He quivered, and after a few steps taken in silence, he stammered: "In -fact, you don't love me?" - -And then as she spared him the pain of a brutal "no," he resumed in a -soft, heart-broken voice: "Oh, I was prepared for it. I have never had -any luck, I know I can never be happy. At home, they used to beat me. -In Paris, I've always been a drudge. You see, when a chap doesn't know -how to rob other fellows of their sweethearts, and is too awkward to -earn as much as the others, why the best thing he can do is to go into -some corner and die. Never fear, I shan't torment you any more. As for -loving you, you can't prevent me, can you? I shall love you like a dog. -There, everything escapes me, that's my luck in life." - -And then he, too, burst into tears. She tried to console him, and in -their friendly effusion they found they belonged to the same part -of the country--she to Valognes, he to Briquebec, eight miles from -each other, and this proved a fresh tie. His father, a poor, needy -process-server, sickly jealous, had been wont to drub him, exasperated -by his long pale face and tow-like hair, which, said he, did not belong -to the family. Then they got to talking of the vast Cotentin pastures, -surrounded with quick-set hedges, of the shady paths and lanes winding -beneath elm trees, and of the grass grown roads, like alleys in a park. -Around them the night was yet paling and they could distinguish the -rushes on the banks, and the lacework of the foliage, black against the -twinkling stars; and a peacefulness came over them, they forgot their -troubles, brought closer together, to a cordial feeling of friendship, -by their ill-luck. - -"Well?" asked Pauline of Denise, taking her aside when they reached the -station. - -The young girl, who understood her friend's meaning by her smile and -stare of tender curiosity, turned very red and answered: "Oh! no, -my dear. Remember what I told you. But he belongs to my part of the -country. We were talking about Valognes." - -Pauline and Baugé were perplexed, put out in their ideas, not knowing -what to think. Deloche left them on the Place de la Bastille; like -all young probationers, he slept in the house, and had to be back by -eleven o'clock. Not wishing to go in with him, Denise, who had obtained -what was called "theatre leave" which allowed her to remain out till -past midnight, accepted Baugé's invitation to accompany Pauline to his -home in the Rue Saint-Roch. They took a cab, and on the way Denise was -stupefied to learn that her friend would not return to The Paradise -till the morrow, having squared matters with Madame Cabin by giving -her a five-franc piece. Baugé, who did the honours of his room, which -was furnished with some old Empire furniture, given him by his father, -got angry when Denise spoke of settling up, but at last accepted the -fifteen francs twelve sous which she had laid on the chest of drawers; -however, he insisted on making her a cup of tea, and after struggling -with a spirit-lamp and saucepan, was obliged to go and fetch some -sugar. Midnight struck as he was pouring out the tea. - -"I must be off," said Denise. - -"Presently," replied Pauline. "The theatres don't close so early." - -Denise however felt uncomfortable in that bachelor's room and a quarter -of an hour later she contrived to slip away. - -The private door which conducted to Mouret's apartments and to the -assistants' bedrooms was in the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin. Madame Cabin -opened it by pulling a string and then gave a glance in order to see -who was returning. A night-light was burning dimly in the hall, and -Denise on finding herself in this uncertain glimmer, hesitated, and -was seized with fear, for a moment previously, on turning the corner -of the street, she had seen the door close on the shadowy figure of a -man. It must have been the governor coming home from a party; and the -idea that he was there in the dark possibly waiting for her, caused -her one of those strange fears with which he still inspired her, -without any reasonable cause. Some one was certainly moving about on -the first-floor, for she heard a creaking of boots, whereupon quite -losing her head, she opened a door which led into the shop, and which -was always left unlocked for the night-watch to make his rounds. On -entering she found herself in the printed cotton department. - -"Good heavens! what shall I do?" she stammered, in her emotion. - -Then the idea occurred to her that there was another door upstairs -leading to the bedrooms; but to reach it she would have to go right -across the shop. She preferred this, however, notwithstanding the -darkness reigning in the galleries. Not a gas-jet was burning there; -only a few lighted oil-lamps hung here and there from the branches -of the chandeliers; and these scattered lights, like yellow specks -fading away in the gloom, resembled the lanterns hung up in mines. Big -shadows loomed before her; she could hardly distinguish the piles of -goods, which assumed all sorts of threatening aspects--now they looked -like fallen columns, now like squatting beasts, and now like lurking -thieves. The heavy silence, broken by distant breathing, moreover -increased the darkness. However, she found her way. From the linen -department on her left came a paler gleam, bluey, like a house front -under a summer sky at night; then she wished to cross the central hall, -but on running up against some piles of printed calico, she thought it -safer to traverse the hosiery department, and then the woollen one. -There she was frightened by a loud noise of snoring. It was Joseph, the -messenger, sleeping behind some mourning articles. She then quickly -ran into the hall where the skylight cast a sort of crepuscular light, -which made it appear larger, and, with its motionless shelves, and -the shadows of its yard-measures describing reversed crosses, lent it -the awe-inspiring aspect of a church at night. And she, indeed full -of fear, now fairly fled. In the mercery and glove departments she -nearly trod on some more assistants, and only felt safe when she at -last found herself on the staircase. But up above, just outside the -mantle department, she was again seized with terror on perceiving a -lantern twinkling in the darkness and moving forward. It was the patrol -of two firemen, marking their passage on the faces of the indicators. -She stood still for a moment failing to understand their business, and -watched them passing from among the shawls to the furniture, and then -on to the under-linen department, terrified the while by their strange -manœuvres, by the grating of their keys and the closing of the iron -doors which shut with a resounding clang. When they approached, she -took refuge in the lace department, but suddenly heard herself called -by name and thereupon ran off to the door conducting to the private -stairs. She had recognised Deloche's voice. He slept in his department, -on a little iron bedstead which he set up himself every evening; and -he was not asleep yet, but with open eyes was rememorating aloud the -pleasant hours he had spent that evening. - -"What! it's you, mademoiselle?" said Mouret, whom Denise despite -all her manœuvring found before her on the staircase, a small -pocket-candleholder in his hand. - -She stammered, and tried to explain that she had been to look for -something. But he was not angry. He gazed at her with his paternal, and -at the same time inquisitive, air. - -"You had permission to go to the theatre, then?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"And have you enjoyed yourself? What theatre did you go to?" - -"I have been in the country, sir." - -This made him laugh. Then laying a certain stress on his words, he -added: "All alone?" - -"No, sir; with a lady friend," she replied, her cheeks burning, shocked -as she was by the suspicion which his words implied. - -He said no more; but he was still looking at her in her simple black -dress and bonnet trimmed with a strip of blue ribbon. Was this little -savage going to turn out a pretty girl? She looked all the better for -her day in the open air, quite charming indeed with her splendid hair -waving over her forehead. And he, who during the last six months had -treated her like a child, sometimes giving her advice, yielding to a -desire to inform himself, to a wicked wish to know how a woman grew up -and became lost in Paris, no longer laughed, but experienced a feeling -of surprise and fear mingled with tenderness. No doubt it was a lover -who was improving her like this. At this thought he felt as if pecked -to the heart by a favourite bird, with which he had been playing. - -"Good night, sir," murmured Denise, continuing on her way without -waiting. - -He did not answer, but remained watching her till she had disappeared. -And then he entered his own apartments. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - -When the dead summer season arrived, quite a hurricane of panic -swept through The Ladies' Paradise. The reign of terror--terror of -dismissal--commenced; many employees were sent away on leave, and -others were dismissed in dozens by the principals, bent on clearing the -shop, as no customers appeared there during the July and August heat. -Mouret, on making his daily round with Bourdoncle, would call aside -the managers, whom he had prompted during the winter to engage more -men than were really necessary, in order that the business might not -suffer; but it was now a question of reducing expenses and this was -effected by casting quite a third of the shop people--the weak ones who -allowed themselves to be swallowed up by the strong ones--on to the -pavements again. - -"Come," he would say, "you must have some who don't suit you. We can't -keep them all this time doing nothing." - -And if the manager hesitated, hardly knowing whom to sacrifice, he -would continue: "Make your own arrangements, six salesmen must suffice; -you can take on others in October, there are always plenty to be had!" - -Moreover Bourdoncle undertook the executions. He had a terrible way of -saying: "Go and be paid!" which fell on the poor devil he had singled -out like a blow from an axe. Anything served him as a pretext for -clearing off the superfluous staff. He invented misdeeds, speculating -on the slightest negligence. "You were sitting down, sir; go and get -paid!" "You dare to answer me; go and get paid!" "Your shoes have not -been blackened; go and get paid!" And even the bravest trembled in -presence of the massacre which he left behind him. Then, this system -not working quickly enough, he invented a trap by which in a few days -and without fatigue, he got rid of the number of salesmen condemned -beforehand. At eight o'clock, he took his stand at the door, watch in -hand; and at three minutes past the hour, the breathless young people -who arrived were greeted with his implacable "Go and get paid!" This -was a quick and cleanly manner of doing the work. - -"You've an ugly mug," he ended by saying one day to a poor devil whose -nose, all on one side, annoyed him, "go and get paid!" - -The favoured ones obtained a fortnight's holiday without pay, which -was a more humane way of lessening the expenses. Moreover the salesmen -quietly accepted their precarious situation, obliged to do so by -necessity and habit. Since their arrival in Paris, they had roamed -about, commencing their apprenticeship here, finishing it there, -getting dismissed or they themselves resigning all at once, just as -interest dictated. When business slackened the workmen lost their daily -bread; and this went on amidst the subdued working of the machine, the -useless gear was quietly thrown aside, like so much old plant. There -was no gratitude shown for services rendered. So much the worse for -those who did not know how to look after themselves! - -Nothing else was now talked of in the various departments. Fresh -stories circulated every day. The dismissed salesmen were named, in the -same way as one counts the dead in time of cholera. The shawl and the -woollen departments suffered especially; seven employees disappeared -from them in one week. Then quite a drama threw the under-linen -department into confusion: a customer, nearly fainting away, accused -the young person who had served her of eating garlic; and the latter -was dismissed at once, although, badly fed and dying of hunger, she -had simply been finishing a collection of bread-crusts at the counter. -However, the authorities showed themselves pitiless at the least -complaint from customers; no excuse was admitted, the employee was -always wrong, and had to disappear like a defective instrument, which -interfered with the proper working of the business; and the others -bowed their heads, not even attempting any defence. In the panic which -was raging, each trembled for himself. Mignot, going out one day with -a parcel under his coat, notwithstanding the regulations, was nearly -caught, and really thought himself lost. Liénard, celebrated for his -idleness, was simply indebted to his father's position in the drapery -trade for not being turned away one afternoon when Bourdoncle found -him dozing between two piles of English velvets. But the Lhommes were -especially anxious, each day expecting to see their son Albert sent -away, as the principals were very dissatisfied with his conduct at his -pay-desk. He frequently had women there who diverted his attention from -his work; and twice already Madame Aurélie had been obliged to plead -for him. - -Denise was so menaced amid this general clearance, that she lived in -constant expectation of a catastrophe. It was in vain that she summoned -up her courage, struggling with all her gaiety and all her reason in -the endeavour not to yield to the misgivings of her tender nature; -she burst into blinding tears as soon as she had closed the door of -her bedroom, in desolation at the thought of finding herself in the -street, on bad terms with her uncle, not knowing where to go, without a -copper saved, and with the two children to look after. The sensations -she had experienced during the first few weeks again returned, she -fancied herself a grain of seed under a powerful millstone; and utter -discouragement came over her at the thought of what a small atom she -was in this great machine, which would certainly crush her with its -quiet indifference. There was no illusion possible; if they dismissed -any one from her department it would certainly be herself. During the -Rambouillet excursion no doubt the other young ladies had incensed -Madame Aurélie against her, for since then that lady had treated her -with an air of severity into which entered a certain rancour. Besides, -they could not forgive her for going to Joinville, regarding it as a -sign of revolt, a means of setting the whole department at defiance, by -exhibiting herself out of doors with a young lady from a rival counter. -Never had Denise suffered so much in the department, and she now gave -up all hope of conquering it. - -"Let them alone!" repeated Pauline, "a lot of stuck-up things, as -stupid as geese!" - -But it was just these fine-lady airs which intimidated Denise. Nearly -all the saleswomen, by their daily contact with rich customers, -acquired certain graces, and finished by forming a vague nameless -class--something between a work-girl and a middle-class lady. But -beneath their art in dress, and the manners and phrases they had learnt -by rote, there was often only a false, superficial education, the fruit -of reading worthless papers, attending cheap theatres and music-halls, -and picking up all the current stupidities of Paris. - -"You know the 'unkempt one' has got a child?" said Clara one morning, -on arriving in the department. And, as the others seemed astonished, -she continued: "Yes, I saw her yesterday myself taking the child out -for a walk! She's got it stowed away in the neighbourhood, somewhere." - -Two days later, Marguerite came up after dinner with another piece of -news. "A nice thing, I've just seen the unkempt one's sweetheart--a -workman, just fancy! Yes, a dirty little workman, with yellow hair, who -was watching her through the windows." - -From that moment it became an accepted fact: Denise had a workman for -a lover, and an infant concealed somewhere in the neighbourhood. They -overwhelmed her with spiteful allusions. The first time she understood -them she turned quite pale at the monstrosity of their suppositions. It -was abominable; she tried to explain, and stammered out: "But they are -my brothers!" - -"Oh! oh! her brothers!" said Clara in a bantering tone. - -Madame Aurélie was obliged to interfere. "Be quiet! young ladies. You -had better go on changing those tickets. Mademoiselle Baudu is quite -free to misbehave herself out of doors, if only she worked a bit when -she is here." - -This curt defence was a condemnation. The poor girl, suffocating as -if they had accused her of a crime, vainly endeavoured to explain the -facts. They laughed and shrugged their shoulders, and she felt wounded -to the heart. On hearing the rumours Deloche was so indignant that he -wanted to slap the faces of the young ladies in Denise's department; -and was only restrained from doing so by the fear of compromising her. -Since the evening at Joinville, he had harboured a submissive love, an -almost religious friendship for her, which he proved by his faithful -doglike looks. He was careful not to show his affection before the -others, for they would have laughed at him, still that did not prevent -him dreaming of the avenging blow he would deal if ever any one should -attack her in his presence. - -Denise finished by not answering the insults. It was all too odious, -nobody would believe it. When any of her companions ventured a fresh -allusion, she contented herself with looking at her with a sad, calm -air. Besides, she had other troubles, material anxieties which took -up her attention. Jean went on as badly as ever, always worrying her -for money. Hardly a week passed that she did not receive some fresh -story from him, four pages long; and when the house postman brought -her these letters, in a big, passionate handwriting, she hastened to -hide them in her pocket, for the saleswomen affected to laugh, and -hummed snatches of some doubtful ditties. Then, after inventing some -pretext to enable her to go to the other end of the establishment -and read these letters, she became full of fear; poor Jean seemed to -be lost. All his fibs succeeded with her, she believed in all his -extraordinary love adventures, her complete ignorance of such things -making her exaggerate his dangers. Sometimes it was a two-franc piece -he wanted to enable him to escape some woman's jealousy, at other times -five francs, six francs, to get some poor girl out of a scrape as her -father would otherwise kill her. And so, as her salary and commission -did not suffice, Denise conceived the idea of looking for a little work -after business hours. She spoke about it to Robineau, who had shown a -certain sympathy for her since their first meeting at Vinçard's, and -he procured her the making of some neckties at five sous a dozen. At -night, between nine and one o'clock, she could sew six dozen of these -which represented thirty sous, out of which she had to deduct four sous -for a candle. And as this sum kept Jean going she did not complain of -the want of sleep, and would have thought herself very happy had not -another catastrophe once more upset her budgetary calculations. At the -end of the second fortnight, when she went to the necktie-dealer's, -she found the door closed; the woman had failed, become bankrupt, -thus carrying off her eighteen francs six sous, a considerable sum on -which she had been relying for the last week. All the annoyances she -experienced in the department disappeared before this disaster. - -"You seem worried," said Pauline, meeting her one day in the furniture -gallery, looking very pale. "Are you in want of anything?" - -But as Denise already owed her friend twelve francs, she tried to smile -and replied: "No, thanks. I've not slept well, that's all." - -It was the twentieth of July, and the panic caused by the dismissals -was at its height. Out of the four hundred employees, Bourdoncle had -already sacked fifty, and there were rumours of fresh executions. She, -however, thought but little of the menaces which were flying about, -entirely absorbed as she was by the anguish caused her by one of Jean's -adventures, an adventure yet more terrifying than any previous one. -That very day he wanted fifteen francs, which sum alone could save him -from somebody's vengeance. On the previous evening she had received -the first letter opening the drama; then, one after the other had come -two more; and in the last, the perusal of which she was finishing when -Pauline met her, Jean had announced his death for that evening, if she -did not send the money. She was in agony. She couldn't take the sum -out of Pépé's board money as this she had paid away two days before. -Every sort of bad luck was pursuing her, for she had hoped to get her -eighteen francs six sous through Robineau, who might perhaps be able -to find the necktie-dealer; but Robineau, having got a fortnight's -holiday, had not returned on the previous night though expected to do -so. - -However, Pauline still questioned her in a friendly way. Whenever they -met, in an out-of-the-way department, they would thus converse for a -few minutes, keeping a sharp look-out the while. And suddenly, Pauline -made a move as if to run off, having observed the white tie of an -inspector coming out of the shawl department. - -"Ah! it's only old Jouve!" she murmured in a relieved tone. "I can't -think what makes the old man grin as he does when he sees us together. -In your place I should beware, for he's too kind to you. He's an old -humbug, as spiteful as a cat, and thinks he's still got his troopers to -talk to." - -This was quite true; Jouve was detested by all the salespeople for his -severity. More than half the dismissals were the result of his reports; -and, rakish ex-captain that he was, with a big red nose, he only shewed -himself lenient in the departments served by women. Thus though he must -have perceived Denise and Pauline he went away, pretending not to see -them; and they heard him dropping on a salesman of the lace department, -guilty of watching a fallen horse in the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin. - -"By the way," resumed Pauline, "weren't you looking for Monsieur -Robineau yesterday? He's come back." - -At this Denise thought herself saved. "Thanks," said she, "I'll go -round the other way then, and pass through the silk department. So much -the worse! They sent me upstairs to the work-room to fetch a bodkin." - -And thereupon they separated. The young girl, with a busy look, as if -she were running from pay-desk to pay-desk in search of something, -reached the stairs and went down into the hall. It was a quarter to -ten, the first lunch-bell had rung. A warm sun was playing on the -windows, and in spite of the grey linen blinds, the heat penetrated the -stagnant air. Now and then a refreshing breath arose from the floor, -which some assistants were gently watering. A somnolence, a summer -siesta reigned in all the vacant spaces around the counters, you might -have thought yourself in a church wrapt in sleeping shadow after the -last mass. Some salesmen were standing about listlessly, and a few rare -customers crossed the galleries and the hall, with the indolent step of -women annoyed by the sun. - -Just as Denise went down, Favier was measuring a dress length of light -silk, with pink spots, for Madame Boutarel, who had arrived in Paris -from the South on the previous day. Since the commencement of the -month, the provinces had been sending up their detachments; you saw -nothing but queerly-dressed dames in yellow shawls, green skirts, and -flaring bonnets. But the shopmen were even too indolent to laugh at -them. Favier accompanied Madame Boutarel to the mercery department, and -on returning, remarked to Hutin: - -"Yesterday they were all Auvergnat women, to-day they're all -Provençales. I'm sick of them." - -But just then Hutin rushed forward, for it was his turn, and he had -recognised "the pretty lady," the lovely blonde thus nicknamed by the -department which knew nothing about her, not even her name. They all -smiled at her, not a week passed without her coming to The Ladies' -Paradise, hitherto always alone. This time, however, she had a little -boy of four or five with her, and this gave rise to various comments. - -"She's married, then?" asked Favier, when Hutin returned from the -pay-desk, where he had debited her with thirty yards of Duchess satin. - -"Possibly," replied he, "although the youngster proves nothing. Perhaps -he belongs to a lady friend. What's certain is, that she must have been -weeping. She was awfully melancholy, and her eyes were so red!" - -A silence ensued. The two salesmen gazed vaguely into the depths of the -shop. Then Favier resumed in a low voice: "If she's married, perhaps -her husband's smacked her face." - -"Possibly," repeated Hutin, "unless a lover has played her false." And -after a fresh silence, he added: "Any way, I don't care a hang!" - -At this moment Denise crossed the silk department, slackening her steps -and looking around her, in search of Robineau. She could not see him, -so she went into the linen department, then passed through again. The -two salesmen had noticed her movements. - -"There's that bag of bones again," murmured Hutin. - -"She's looking for Robineau," said Favier. "I can't think what they get -up to together. Oh! nothing wrong. But they say Robineau has procured -her a little work, some neckties. What a spec, eh?" - -Hutin was meditating something spiteful; and when Denise passed near -him, he stopped her, saying: "Is it me you're looking for?" - -She turned very red. Since the Joinville excursion, she had not dared -to read her heart, full of confused sensations. She was constantly -recalling his appearance with that red-haired girl, and if she still -trembled before him, it was doubtless from uneasiness. Had she ever -loved him? Did she love him still? She hardly liked to stir up these -things, which were painful to her. - -"No, sir," she replied, embarrassed. - -Hutin thereupon began to laugh at her uneasy manner. "Would you like us -to serve him to you? Favier, just serve Robineau to this young lady." - -She looked at him fixedly, with the sad calm look with which she had -met the wounding remarks made by the girls, her companions. Ah! so he -was spiteful, he attacked her as well as the others! And she felt a -sort of supreme anguish, the breaking of a last tie. Her face expressed -such real suffering, that Favier, although not of a very tender nature, -came to her assistance. - -"Monsieur Robineau has gone out to match some goods," said he. "No -doubt he will be back for lunch. You'll find him here this afternoon, -if you want to speak to him." - -Denise thanked him, and went up to her department, where Madame Aurélie -was waiting for her in a terrible rage. What! she had been gone half an -hour! Where had she just sprung from? Not from the work-room, that was -quite certain! The poor girl hung her head, thinking of this avalanche -of misfortunes. All would be over if Robineau should not come in. -However, she resolved to go down again, later on. - -In the silk department, Robineau's return had provoked quite a -revolution. The salesmen had hoped that, disgusted with the annoyances -they were incessantly causing him, he would not return to the -establishment; and, in fact, there was a moment, when pressed by -Vinçard to take over his business, he had almost decided to do so. -Hutin's secret labour, the mine which he had been laying under the -second-hand's feet for months past, was about to explode. During -Robineau's holidays, he had temporarily taken his place and had done -his best to injure him in the minds of the principals, and secure -possession of his situation by excess of zeal; he discovered and -reported all sorts of trifling irregularities, suggested improvements, -and invented new designs. There was, however, nothing exceptional in -all this. Everybody in the department--from the unpaid probationer, -longing to become a salesman, to the first salesman who coveted the -situation of manager--had but one fixed idea, and that was to dislodge -the comrade above them, to ascend another rung of the ladder, by -knocking him over if necessary; and this battle of appetites, this -constant hurtling, even contributed to the better working of the -machine, inspiriting the sales and fanning the flame of success which -was astonishing Paris. Behind Hutin, there was Favier; and behind -Favier came the others, in a long line. You heard a loud noise as -of jaws working. Robineau was condemned, and each was grabbing for -one of his bones. So when the second-hand returned from his holiday -there was a general grumbling. The matter had to be settled at once, -the salesmen's attitude appearing so menacing that the head of the -department had sent Robineau out to match some goods at the dépôts of -manufacturers in order to give the authorities an opportunity to come -to a decision. - -"We would sooner all leave, if he is to be kept," declared Hutin. - -The affair greatly bothered Bouthemont, whose gaiety ill-accorded with -such worries. He was pained to see nothing but scowling faces around -him. Nevertheless he desired to be just. - -"Come, leave him alone, he doesn't hurt you," he said. - -But they protested energetically. "What! doesn't hurt us! An -insupportable being who is always irritable and so proud that he would -walk over one rather than not pass." - -This was the great grievance of the department. Robineau, nervous as -a woman, was intolerably stiff and susceptible. They related scores -of stories about him; one poor little fellow had fallen ill through -his treatment, and even lady customers had been humiliated by his curt -remarks. - -"Well, gentlemen, I won't take anything on myself," said Bouthemont. -"I've notified the position to the directors, and am going to speak -about it shortly." - -The second lunch was being rung; the clang of a bell came up from the -basement with a distant muffled sound in the close air of the shop. -Hutin and Favier went down. From all the counters, came salesmen one -by one, hastening, helter-skelter, through the narrow entrance to the -kitchen passage down below, a damp passage always lighted by gas. The -flock pushed forward, without a laugh or a word, amidst an increasing -clatter of crockery and a strong odour of food. Then at the far end -of the passage there was a sudden halt, before a wicket. Flanked by -piles of plates, and armed with forks and spoons, which he plunged into -copper-pans, a cook was distributing the portions. And when he stood -aside, the flaring kitchen could be seen beyond his white-covered belly. - -"Of course!" muttered Hutin, consulting the bill of fare, written on a -black-board above the wicket. "Boiled beef and pungent sauce, or skate. -Never any roast meat in this rotten shop! Their boiled beef and fish -don't do a fellow a bit of good!" - -Moreover, the fish was universally neglected, for the pan was quite -full. Favier, however, took some skate. Behind him, Hutin stooped down, -saying: "Beef and sauce." - -With a mechanical movement of his fork, the cook picked up a piece of -meat; then poured a spoonful of sauce over it, and Hutin, suffocated by -the hot air from the kitchen, had hardly secured his portion, before -the words, "Beef, pungent sauce; beef, pungent sauce," followed each -other like a litany; whilst the cook continued to pick up the meat -and pour the sauce over it with the rapid rhythmical movement of a -well-regulated clock. - -"But the skate's cold," declared Favier, whose hand felt no warmth from -the plate. - -They were now all hurrying along, with arms extended and plates held -straight, for fear of running against one another. Ten steps further -was the bar, another wicket with a shiny zinc counter, on which were -ranged the shares of wine, small bottles, without corks and still damp -from rinsing. And each took one of these bottles in his empty hand -as he passed, and then, completely laden, made for his table with a -serious air, careful not to spill anything. - -Hutin, however, grumbled between his teeth. "This is a fine dance, with -all this crockery!" - -The table at which he and Favier sat, was at the end of the corridor, -in the last dining-room. The rooms were all alike, old cellars twelve -feet by fifteen, which had been cemented over and fitted up as -refectories; but the damp came through the paint-work, the yellow walls -were covered with greenish spots; and, from the narrow windows, opening -on the street, on a level with the pavement, there fell a livid light, -incessantly traversed by the vague shadows of passers-by. In July as -in December, you stifled in the warm air, laden with nauseous smells, -which came from the kitchen near by. - -Hutin went in first. On the table, which was fixed at one end to the -wall, and covered with American cloth, there were only the glasses, -knives, and forks, marking the places. A pile of clean plates stood at -each end; whilst in the middle was a big loaf, a knife sticking in it, -with the handle in the air. Hutin rid himself of his bottle and laid -down his plate; then, after taking his napkin from the bottom of a set -of pigeon-holes, the sole ornament on the walls, he heaved a sigh and -sat down. - -"And I'm fearfully hungry, too!" he murmured. - -"It's always like that," replied Favier, seating himself on the left. -"Nothing to eat when one is starving." - -The table was rapidly filling. It contained twenty-two places. At -first nothing was heard but a loud clattering of knives and forks, the -gormandizing of big fellows whom thirteen hours' daily work incessantly -rendered hungry. Formerly the employees had been allowed an hour for -meals, which had enabled them to go to a café and take their coffee; -and they would then despatch their dinner in twenty minutes, anxious -to get into the street. But this excited them too much, they came back -careless, their minds bent on other things than business; and so the -managers had decided that they should not go out, but pay an extra -three halfpence for a cup of coffee, if they wanted one. So now they -were in no hurry, but prolonged the meal, being in no wise anxious to -go back to work before time. Between their big mouthfuls a great many -read newspapers which they had folded and placed against their bottles. -Others, their first hunger satisfied, talked noisily, always returning -to the eternal grievance of the bad food, to the money they had earned, -to what they had done on the previous Sunday, and what they were going -to do on the next one. - -"I say, what about your Robineau?" a salesman suddenly asked Hutin. - -The struggle between the men of the silk department and their -second-hand occupied all the counters. The question was discussed every -evening at the Café Saint-Roch until midnight. Hutin, who was busy with -his piece of beef, contented himself with replying: - -"Well! he's come back." Then, suddenly getting angry, he resumed: "But -confound it! I really believe they've given me a slice of donkey! It's -become disgusting, my word of honour!" - -"You needn't grumble!" said Favier. "I was flat enough to ask for -skate. It's putrid." - -They were all speaking at once, some complaining and some joking. At a -corner of the table, against the wall, sat Deloche silently eating. He -was afflicted with a ravenous appetite, which he had never been able to -satisfy, and not earning enough to afford any extras, he cut himself -huge chunks of bread, and bolted even the least savoury platefuls, with -a gormandizing air. They all laughed at him, crying: "Favier, pass your -skate to Deloche. He likes it like that. And your meat, Hutin; Deloche -wants it for his dessert." - -The poor fellow shrugged his shoulders, and did not even reply. It -wasn't his fault if he was dying of hunger. Besides, the others might -abuse the food as much as they liked, they swallowed it all the same. - -But a low whistle stopped their talk; Mouret and Bourdoncle were in -the corridor. For some time the complaints had become so frequent that -the principals pretended to come and judge the quality of the food -themselves. They gave thirty sous a head per day to the chief cook, -who had to pay for everything, provisions, coal, gas, and staff, and -they displayed a naive astonishment when the food was not good. That -very morning even, each department had deputed a spokesman. Mignot -and Liénard had undertaken to speak for their comrades. And so, in -the sudden silence which fell, all ears were cocked to catch the -conversation going on in the next room, which Mouret and Bourdoncle -had just entered. The latter declared the beef excellent; and Mignot, -astounded by this quiet assertion, was repeating, "But chew it, and -see;" whilst Liénard, attacking the skate, gently remarked, "But it -stinks, sir!" Mouret thereupon launched into a cordial speech; he would -do everything for his employees' welfare, he was their father, and -would rather eat dry bread himself than see them badly fed. - -"I promise you to look into the matter," he said in conclusion, raising -his voice so that they might all hear it from one end of the passage to -the other. - -The inquiry being finished, the noise of the knives and forks commenced -once more. "Yes, reckon on that, and drink water!" Hutin muttered. "Ah, -they're not stingy of fine words. You want some promises, there you -are! But all the while they continue feeding you on old boot-leather, -and chuck you out like dogs!" - -The salesman who had already questioned him thereupon repeated: "You -say that Robineau----" - -But a clatter of heavy crockery-ware drowned his voice. The men changed -their plates themselves, and the piles at both ends were diminishing. -When a kitchen-help brought in some large tin dishes, Hutin cried out: -"Baked rice! this is a finisher!" - -"Good for a penn'orth of gum!" said Favier, serving himself. - -Some liked it but others thought it too sticky. Those who were plunged -in the fiction of their newspaper, not even knowing what they were -eating, remained silent. All, however, mopped their foreheads, and the -narrow cellar-like apartment filled with a ruddy vapour whilst the -shadows of the passers-by continually passed like black bars over the -littered tables. - -"Pass Deloche the bread," cried one of the wags. - -Each one cut a piece, and then again dug the knife into the loaf up to -the handle; and the bread still went round. - -"Who'll take my rice for a dessert?" all at once asked Hutin; and -when he had concluded his bargain with a short, thin young fellow, he -attempted to sell his wine also; but no one would take it as it was -known to be detestable. - -"As I was telling you, Robineau is back," he continued, amid the -cross-fire of laughter and conversation that went on. "Oh! his affair -is serious. Just fancy, he has been leading the saleswomen astray! Yes, -and he gets them cravats to make!" - -"Silence!" muttered Favier. "They're just judging him." - -And with a wink he called attention to Bouthemont, who was walking up -and down the passage between Mouret and Bourdoncle, all three absorbed -in an animated conversation, carried on in a low tone. The dining-room -of the managers and second-hands happened to be just opposite. And -so on seeing Mouret pass, Bouthemont, having finished his meal, had -got up to relate the affair and explain the awkward position he was -in. The other two listened, still refusing to sacrifice Robineau, a -first-class salesman, who dated from Madame Hédouin's time. But when -Bouthemont came to the story of the neckties, Bourdoncle got angry. Was -this fellow mad to interfere with the saleswomen and procure them extra -work? The house paid dearly enough for the women's time; if they worked -on their own account at night they must work less during the daytime -in the shop, that was certain; therefore it was a robbery, they were -risking their health which did not belong to them. No, the night was -intended for sleep; they must all sleep, or they would be sent to the -right-about! - -"Things are getting rather warm!" remarked Hutin. - -Each time the three principals passed the dining-room, the shopmen -watched them, commenting on their slightest gestures. The baked rice, -in which a cashier had just found a brace-button, was momentarily -forgotten. - -"I just heard the word 'cravat,'" said Favier. "And you saw how -Bourdoncle's face turned pale all at once." - -Mouret shared his partner's indignation. That a saleswoman should -be reduced to work at night, seemed to him an attack on the very -organization of The Ladies' Paradise. Who was the stupid that couldn't -earn enough in the business? But when Bouthemont named Denise he -softened down, and invented excuses. Ah! yes, that poor little girl; -she wasn't very sharp, and had others dependent on her, it was said. -Bourdoncle interrupted him to declare they ought to send her packing -immediately. They would never do anything with such an ugly creature, -he had always said so; and he seemed to be indulging a spiteful -feeling. Thereupon Mouret, in embarrassment, affected to laugh. Dear -me! what a severe man! couldn't they forgive her for once? They could -call in the culprit and give her a scolding. In short, Robineau was -the one to blame, for he ought to have dissuaded her, he, an old hand, -knowing the ways of the house. - -"Well! there's the governor laughing now!" resumed Favier, in -astonishment, as the group again passed the door. - -"Ah, by Jove!" exclaimed Hutin, "if they persist in shoving Robineau on -our shoulders, we'll make it lively for them!" - -Bourdoncle looked straight at Mouret and then simply made a gesture of -disdain, to intimate that he saw how it was, and thought it idiotic. -Bouthemont meantime resumed his complaints; the salesmen threatened to -leave, and there were some very good men amongst them. However, what -appeared to have most effect on these gentlemen, was the rumour of -Robineau's friendly relations with Gaujean; the latter, it was said, -was urging the former to set up for himself in the neighbourhood, -offering him any amount of credit, to run in opposition to The Ladies' -Paradise. There was a pause. Ah! Robineau thought of showing fight, did -he! Mouret had become serious, though he affected a certain scorn, and -avoided coming to a decision, as if it were matter of no importance. -They would see, they would speak to him. And he immediately began to -joke with Bouthemont, whose father, arriving from his little shop at -Montpellier two days previously, had almost choked with stupefaction -and rage on seeing the immense hall in which his son reigned. Everyone -was still laughing about the old man, who, recovering his Southern -assurance, had immediately begun to run everything down, pretending -that the drapery business would soon go to the dogs. - -"Ah! precisely, here's Robineau," said Bouthemont. "I sent him to -attend to some matching so as to avoid any unpleasant occurrence. -Excuse me if I insist, but things have come to such a pass that -something must really be done." - -Robineau, who had just come in, passed by the group with a bow, on his -way to the table. Mouret simply repeated: "All right, we'll see about -it." - -Then all three went off. Hutin and Favier were still watching for -them, but on seeing that they did not return began to relieve their -feelings. Did the governor mean to come down like that at every meal, -to count their mouthfuls? A nice thing it would be if they could not -even eat in peace! The truth was, they had just seen Robineau come in, -and the governor's good-humour made them anxious about the result of -the struggle they were engaged in. They lowered their voices, trying to -find fresh subjects for grumbling. - -"But I'm dying of hunger!" continued Hutin, aloud. "One is hungrier -than ever on rising from table!" And yet he had eaten two portions of -jam, his own and the one which he had secured in exchange for his plate -of rice. All at once he cried out: "Hang it, I'm going in for an extra! -Victor, give me another jam!" - -The waiter was finishing the serving of the desserts. He then brought -in the coffee, and those who took it gave him their three sous there -and then. A few had gone away, dawdling along the corridor and -looking for a dark corner where they might smoke a cigarette. The -others remained at table before the greasy plates, rolling pellets of -bread-crumbs and recounting the same old stories, amidst the sickly -odour of victuals, which they could no longer smell, and the sweltering -heat which was reddening their ears. The walls reeked with moisture, -a slow asphyxia fell from the mouldy vaulted ceiling. Leaning against -the wall was Deloche, stuffed with bread and digesting in silence, his -eyes on the window. His daily recreation, after luncheon was to watch -the feet of the passers-by spinning along the street, a continual -procession of living feet in big shoes, elegant boots, and ladies' tiny -boots, without either head or body. On rainy days all were very dirty. - -"What! Already?" suddenly exclaimed Hutin. - -A bell had begun to ring at the end of the passage and they had to -make way for the third lunch. The waiters came in with pails of warm -water and big sponges to clean the American cloth. Gradually the rooms -emptied and the salesmen returned to their departments, loitering as -they went up the stairs. In the kitchen, the head cook had resumed his -place at the wicket, between the pans of skate, beef, and sauce, again -armed with his forks and spoons and ready to fill the plates anew with -the rhythmical movement of a well-regulated clock. As Hutin and Favier -slowly withdrew, they saw Denise coming down. - -"Monsieur Robineau is back, mademoiselle," said the former with -sneering politeness. - -"He is still at table," added the other. "But if you are in a very -great hurry you can go in." - -Denise continued on her way without replying or turning round; but -when she passed the dining-room of the managers and second-hands, she -could not help just looking in, and saw that Robineau was really there. -She resolved that she would try to speak to him in the afternoon, and -continued her journey along the corridor to her own dining-room, which -was at the other end. - -The women took their meals apart, in two special rooms. Denise -entered the first one. This also was an old cellar, transformed into -a refectory; but it had been fitted up with more comfort. On the oval -table, in the middle of the apartment, the fifteen places were set -further apart and the wine was in decanters, a dish of skate and a dish -of beef with pungent sauce occupying the two ends of the table. Waiters -in white aprons moreover attended to the young ladies, and spared them -the trouble of fetching their portions from the wicket. The manager had -thought this arrangement more seemly. - -"You went round, then?" asked Pauline, already seated and cutting -herself some bread. - -"Yes," replied Denise, blushing, "I was accompanying a customer." - -But this was a fib. Clara nudged her neighbour. What was the matter -with the unkempt girl? She was quite strange in her ways that day. One -after the other she had received two letters from her lover and then -went running all over the shop like a madwoman, pretending she was -going to the work-room, where she did not even put in an appearance. -There was something up, that was certain. Then Clara, eating her skate -without any show of disgust, with the indifference of a girl who had -been used to nothing better than rancid bacon, began speaking of a -frightful drama, accounts of which filled the newspapers. - -"You've read about that man cutting his mistress's throat with a razor, -haven't you?" - -"Well!" said a little, quiet, delicate-looking girl belonging to the -under-linen department, "she was unfaithful to him. Serve her right!" - -But Pauline protested. What! just because you had ceased to love a man, -he was to be allowed to cut your throat? Ah! no, never! And stopping -all at once, she turned round to the waiter, saying: "Pierre, I can't -get through this beef. Just tell them to do me an extra, an omelet, -nice and soft, if possible." - -Then to while away the time, she took out some chocolate which she -began eating with her bread, for she always had her pockets full of -sweetmeats. - -"It certainly isn't very amusing," resumed Clara. "And some people are -fearfully jealous, you know! Only the other day there was a workman who -pitched his wife into a well." - -She kept her eyes on Denise, thinking she had guessed her trouble on -seeing her turn pale. Evidently that little prude was afraid of being -beaten by her lover, whom she no doubt deceived. It would be a lark if -he should come into the shop after her, as she seemed to fear he would. -But the conversation took another turn, for one of the girls was giving -a recipe for cleaning velvet. Then they went on to speak of a piece at -the Gaiety, in which some lovely little children danced better than any -grown-up persons. Pauline, saddened for a moment at the sight of her -omelet, which was overdone, recovered her spirits on finding that it -tasted fairly well. - -"Pass the wine," said she to Denise. "You should take an omelet." - -"Oh! the beef is enough for me," replied the young girl, who, in order -to avoid expense, contented herself with the food provided by the -house, no matter how repugnant it might be. - -When the waiter brought in the baked rice, the other young ladies -protested. They had refused it the previous week, and had hoped it -would not appear again. Denise, inattentive, worrying the more about -Jean after Clara's stories, was the only one to eat it; and all the -others looked at her with disgust. There was a great demand for extras, -they gorged themselves with jam. Moreover this was a sort of elegance, -they considered it aristocratic to feed themselves at their own expense. - -"You know that the gentlemen have complained," said the delicate -little girl from the under-linen department, "and the management has -promised----" - -But the others interrupted her with a burst of laughter, and began -to rail at the management. Coffee was taken by all excepting Denise, -who couldn't bear it, she said. And they lingered there before their -cups, the young ladies from the under-linen department all middle-class -simplicity in their woollen dresses, and the young ladies from the -mantle department arrayed in silk, their napkins tucked under their -chins, in order not to stain their gowns, like ladies who might have -come down to the servants' hall to dine with their chamber-maids. -Having opened the glazed sash of the air-hole to change the stifling -poisoned air, they were speedily obliged to close it for the cab-wheels -seemed to be passing over the table. - -"Hush!" whispered Pauline; "here's that old beast!" - -It was inspector Jouve, who was rather fond of prowling about at meal -times, when the young ladies were there. He was supposed, in fact, to -look after their dining-rooms. With a smiling face he would come in -and walk round the tables; sometimes he would even indulge in a little -gossip, and inquire if they had made a good lunch. But as he annoyed -them and made them feel uncomfortable, they all hastened to get away. -Although the bell had not rung, Clara was the first to disappear; the -others followed her, and soon only Denise and Pauline remained. The -latter, after drinking her coffee, was finishing her chocolate drops. -But all at once she got up, saying: "I'm going to send a messenger for -some oranges. Are you coming?" - -"Presently," replied Denise, who was nibbling at a crust, determined to -wait till the last, so that she might be able to see Robineau on her -way upstairs. - -However, when she found herself alone with Jouve she felt uneasy and -annoyed, and quitted the table; but as she was going towards the door -he stopped her saying: "Mademoiselle Baudu----" - -Erect before her, he was smiling with a paternal air. His thick grey -moustache and short cropped hair gave him a respectable military -appearance; and he threw out his chest, on which was displayed the red -ribbon of his decoration. - -"What is it, Monsieur Jouve?" asked she, feeling reassured. - -"I caught you again this morning talking upstairs behind the carpet -department. You know it is not allowed, and if I reported you--She must -be very fond of you, your friend Pauline." His moustache quivered, and -his huge nose seemed all aflame. "What makes you so fond of each other, -eh?" - -Denise had again been seized with an uneasy feeling. He was getting too -close, and was speaking in her face. - -"It's true we were talking, Monsieur Jouve," she stammered, "but -there's no harm in talking a bit. You are very kind to me, and I'm very -much obliged to you." - -"I ought not to be kind," said he. "Justice, and nothing more, is my -motto. But when it's a pretty girl----" - -And thereupon he came closer still, and she felt really afraid. -Pauline's words returned to her memory and she recalled the stories -which were told of old Jouve's goings-on. - -"Leave me alone," she murmured drawing back. - -"Come," said he, "you are not going to play the savage with me, who -always treat you so well. Be amiable, come and take a cup of tea and a -slice of bread-and-butter with me this evening. You are very welcome." - -She was struggling now. "No! no!" she exclaimed. - -The dining-room remained empty, the waiter had not come back. Jouve, -listening for the sound of any footsteps, cast a rapid glance around -him; and then, very excited, losing all control over himself, he -attempted to kiss her on the neck. - -"What a spiteful, stupid little girl you are!" he said. - -But she was quite shocked and terrified by the approach of his burning -face, and all at once she gave him so rough a push that he staggered -and nearly fell upon the table. Fortunately, a chair saved him; but in -the shock, some wine left in a glass spurted on to his white necktie, -and soaked his decoration. And he remained there, without wiping -himself, choked with anger at such brutality. - -"Ah, you will be sorry for this, on my word of honour!" he growled -between his teeth. - -Denise ran away. Just at that moment the bell rang; but sorely -perturbed, still shuddering, she forgot Robineau, and went straight up -to her counter. And she did not dare to go down again. As the sun fell -on the frontage of the Place Gaillon of an afternoon, they were soon -all stifling in the first-floor rooms, notwithstanding the grey linen -blinds. A few customers came, put the young ladies into perspiration, -and went away without buying anything. Every one was yawning even -under Madame Aurélie's big sleepy eyes. At last towards three o'clock, -Denise, seeing the first-hand falling asleep, quietly slipped off, -and resumed her journey across the shop, with a busy air. To put the -curious ones, who might be watching her, off the scent, she did not go -straight to the silk department; pretending that she wanted something -among the laces, she went up to Deloche, and asked him a question; and -then, on reaching the ground-floor, she passed through the printed -cottons department, and was just going into the cravat gallery, when -she stopped short, startled and surprised. Jean was before her. - -"What! it's you?" she murmured, quite pale. - -He was wearing his working blouse, and was bare-headed, with his hair -in disorder, its curls falling over his girlish face. Standing before a -show-case of narrow black neckties, he appeared to be thinking deeply. - -"What are you doing here?" resumed Denise. - -"What do you think?" replied he. "I was waiting for you. You won't -let me come. So I came in all the same but haven't said anything to -anybody. You may be quite easy. Pretend not to know me, if you like." - -Some salesmen were already looking at them in astonishment. Jean -lowered his voice. "She wanted to come with me, you know. Yes, she is -close by, opposite the fountain. Give me the fifteen francs quick, or -we are done for as sure as the sun is shining on us!" - -Denise then lost her head. The lookers-on were grinning, listening -to this adventure. And as behind the cravat department there was a -staircase leading to the basement, she hastily pushed her brother, -and made him go down. Once below he resumed his story, embarrassed, -inventing his facts as he went on, and fearing that he might not be -believed. - -"The money is not for her. She is too respectable for that. And as for -her husband, he does not care a straw for fifteen francs. No, it's for -a low fellow, one of her friends, who saw me kissing her, and if I -don't give him this money this evening----" - -"Be quiet," murmured Denise. "Presently, do get along." - -They were now in the parcels office. The dead season had steeped the -vast basement in a sort of torpor, in the pale light falling from the -air-holes. It was cool as well, and a silence fell from the ceiling. -However, there was a porter collecting from one of the compartments a -few parcels for the neighbourhood of the Madeleine; and, on the large -sorting-table, sat Campion, the chief clerk, his legs dangling, and his -eyes wandering. - -Jean began again: "The husband, who has a big knife----" - -"Get along!" repeated Denise, still pushing him forward. - -They followed one of the narrow passages, where the gas was always kept -burning. In the dark vaults to the right and the left were the reserve -goods, shadowy behind the gratings. At last she stopped opposite one of -these. Nobody was likely to pass that way; but the assistants were not -allowed there, and she shuddered. - -"If this rascal says anything," resumed Jean, "the husband, who has a -big knife----" - -"But where do you expect me to find fifteen francs?" exclaimed Denise -in despair. "Can't you be more careful? You're always getting into some -stupid scrape!" - -He struck his chest. Amidst all his romantic inventions he had almost -forgotten the exact truth. He dramatized his pecuniary wants, but there -was always some immediate necessity behind his display. "By all that's -sacred, it's really true this time," said he. - -She stopped him again, and lost her temper, tortured and completely at -a loss. "I don't want to know," she replied. "Keep your wicked conduct -to yourself. It's too bad, you ought to know better! You're always -tormenting me. I'm killing myself to keep you in money. Yes, I have to -stay up all night at work. Not only that, but you are taking the bread -out of your little brother's mouth." - -Jean stood there with his mouth agape, and his face paling. What! it -was wicked? And he could not understand; from infancy he had always -treated his sister like a comrade, and thought it quite a natural thing -to open his heart to her. But what upset him above all else was to -learn that she stopped up all night. The idea that he was killing her, -and taking Pépé's share as well, affected him so much that he began to -cry. - -"You're right; I'm a scamp," he exclaimed. "Really now, I am quite -furious with myself! I could slap my face!" He had taken her hands, -and was kissing them and inundating them with tears. "Give me the -fifteen francs, and this shall be the last time, I swear it to you. Or -rather--no!--don't give me anything. I prefer to die. If the husband -murders me it will be a good riddance for you." And as she was now -crying as well, he became stricken with remorse. "I say that, but of -course I'm not sure. Perhaps he doesn't want to kill any one. We'll -manage. I promise you that, little sister. Good-bye, I'm off." - -However, a sound of footsteps at the end of the passage suddenly -frightened them. She quickly drew him close to the grating, in a -dark corner. For an instant they heard nothing but the hissing of -a gas-burner near them. Then the footsteps drew nearer; and, on -stretching out her neck, she recognised inspector Jouve, who had just -entered the corridor, with his stiff military walk. Was he there by -chance, or had some one at the door warned him of Jean's presence? She -was seized with such fright that she quite lost her head; and, pushing -Jean out of the dark spot where they were concealed, drove him before -her, stammering out: "Be off! Be off!" - -Both galloped along, hearing Jouve behind them, for he also had began -to run. And again they crossed the parcels office, and reached the foot -of the stairs leading out into the Rue de la Michodière. - -"Be off!" repeated Denise, "be off! If I can, I'll send you the fifteen -francs all the same." - -Jean, bewildered, scampered away. The inspector, who came up panting, -out of breath, could only distinguish a corner of his white blouse, and -his locks of fair hair flying in the wind. For a moment Jouve remained -trying to get his breath back and resume his dignified demeanour. He -now wore a brand-new white necktie which he had purchased in the linen -department and the large bow of which glistened like snow. - -"Well! this is nice behaviour, mademoiselle!" said he, his lips -trembling. "Yes, it's nice, very nice! If you think I'm going to stand -this sort of thing you're mistaken." - -And with this remark he pursued her whilst she was returning to the -shop, overcome with emotion and unable to find a word of defence. She -was sorry now that she had run away. Why hadn't she explained the -matter, and brought her brother forward? They would now imagine all -sorts of villanies, and, say what she might, they would never believe -her. Once more she forgot Robineau, and went back to her counter, -while Jouve repaired to the manager's office to report the matter. But -the messenger on duty told him that Monsieur Mouret was with Monsieur -Bourdoncle and Monsieur Robineau; they had been talking together for -the last quarter of an hour. In fact, the door was half-open, and he -could hear Mouret gaily asking Robineau if he had spent a pleasant -holiday; there was not the least question of a dismissal--on the -contrary, the conversation fell on certain things to be done in the -silk department. - -"Do you want anything, Monsieur Jouve?" exclaimed Mouret. "Come in." - -But a sudden instinct warned the inspector. As Bourdoncle had come -out, he preferred to relate everything to him; and they slowly passed -through the shawl department, walking side by side, the one leaning -over and talking in a low tone, the other listening without a muscle of -his severe face betraying his impressions. - -"All right," he said at last. - -And as they had arrived at the mantle department, he went in. Just at -that moment Madame Aurélie was scolding Denise. Where had she come from -again? This time she couldn't say that she had been to the work-room. -Really, these continual absences could not be tolerated any longer. - -"Madame Aurélie!" cried Bourdoncle. - -He had decided on a bold stroke, not wishing to consult Mouret, for -fear of some weakness. The first-hand came up, and the story was -once more related in a low voice. All the girls were waiting in the -expectation of some catastrophe. At last, Madame Aurélie turned round -with a solemn air. - -"Mademoiselle Baudu!" she called, and her puffy Cæsarian countenance -assumed the inexorable sternness of sovereign power: "Go and get paid!" - -The terrible phrase rang out loudly in the empty department. Denise -stood there pale as a ghost, without saying a word. At last she was -able to ask in broken sentences: - -"Me! me! What for? What have I done?" - -Bourdoncle harshly replied that she knew very well, that she had better -not provoke any explanation; and he spoke of the cravats, and added -that it would be a fine thing if all the young ladies were to receive -men down in the basement. - -"But it was my brother!" she cried with the grievous anger of an -outraged virgin. - -Marguerite and Clara began to laugh. Madame Frédéric, usually so -discreet, shook her head with an incredulous air. Always her brother! -Really it was very stupid! Denise looked round at all of them: at -Bourdoncle, who had taken a dislike to her from the first; Jouve, -who had stopped to serve as a witness, and from whom she expected no -justice; and then at those girls whom she had not been able to soften -by nine months of smiling courage, who were happy, in fact, to help -in turning her out of doors. What was the use of struggling? what was -the use of trying to impose herself on them when none of them liked -her? And she went away without a word, not even casting another look -at the room where she had so long battled. But as soon as she was -alone, before the hall staircase, a deeper sense of suffering filled -her heart. No one cared for her, and the sudden thought of Mouret had -just deprived her of all resignation. No! no! she could not accept -such a dismissal. Perhaps he would believe that villanous story of a -rendezvous with a man down in the cellars. At this thought, a feeling -of shame tortured her, an anguish with which she had never before been -afflicted. She wished to go and see him to explain the matter to him, -simply in order to let him know the truth; for she was quite ready to -go away as soon as he should know it. And her old fear, the shiver -which chilled her whenever she was in his presence, suddenly developed -into an ardent desire to see him, not to leave the house in fact -without telling him that she had never belonged to another. - -It was nearly five o'clock, and the shop was waking into life again -in the cool evening air. She quickly started off for Mouret's office. -But when she reached the door, a hopeless, melancholy feeling again -took possession of her. Her tongue refused its office, the intolerable -burden of existence again fell on her shoulders. He would not believe -her, he would laugh like the others, she thought; and this idea made -her almost faint away. All was over, she would be better alone, out -of the way, dead! And thereupon, without informing either Pauline or -Deloche, she at once went for her money. - -"You have twenty-two days, mademoiselle," said the clerk, "that makes -eighteen francs and fourteen sous; to which must be added seven francs -for commission. That's right, isn't it?" - -"Yes, sir. Thanks." - -And Denise was about to go off with her money, when she at last met -Robineau. He had already heard of her dismissal, and promised to find -the necktie-dealer. Then in a lower tone he tried to console her, but -lost his temper: what an existence, to be at the continual mercy of -a whim! to be thrown on to the pavement at an hour's notice, without -even being able to claim a full month's salary. Denise went up to -inform Madame Cabin that she would endeavour to send for her box during -the evening. It was just striking five when she found herself on the -pavement of the Place Gaillon, bewildered, in the midst of the crowd of -people and vehicles. - -That same evening when Robineau got home he received a letter from the -management informing him, in a few lines, that for certain reasons -relating to internal arrangements they were obliged to deprive -themselves of his services. He had been at The Paradise for seven -years, and only that afternoon had been talking to the principals. Thus -it was a heavy blow for him. Hutin and Favier, however, were crowing -in the silk department, as loudly as Clara and Marguerite in the other -one. A jolly good riddance! Such clean sweeps made room for others! -Deloche and Pauline were the only ones who when they met amidst the -crush of the galleries exchanged distressful words, in their regret at -the departure of Denise, so virtuous and gentle. - -"Ah," said the young man, "if ever she succeeds anywhere else, I -should like to see her come back here, and trample on all those -good-for-nothing creatures!" - -It was Bourdoncle who in this affair had to bear the brunt of Mouret's -anger. When the latter heard of Denise's dismissal, he was exceedingly -annoyed. As a rule he never interfered with the staff; but this time -he affected to see an encroachment on his attributions, an attempt to -over-ride his authority. Was he no longer master in the place, that -they dared to give orders? Everything must pass through his hands, -absolutely everything; and he would immediately crush any one who -should resist. Then, after making personal inquiries, all the while in -a nervous torment which he could not conceal, he again lost his temper. -The poor girl had not lied; it was really her brother. Campion had -fully recognised him. Why had she been sent away, then? He even spoke -of taking her back. - -However, Bourdoncle, strong is his passive resistance, bent before the -storm. He studied Mouret, and one day when he saw him a little calmer -he ventured to say in a meaning voice: "It's better for everybody that -she's gone." - -Mouret stood there looking very awkward, the blood rushing to his face. -"Well!" he replied laughing, "perhaps you're right. Let's go and take a -turn downstairs. Things are looking better, the receipts rose to nearly -a hundred thousand francs yesterday." - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - -For a moment Denise stood bewildered on the pavement, in the sun which -still shone fiercely at five o'clock. The July heat warmed the gutters, -Paris was blazing with that white chalky light of summer-time, whose -reverberations are so blinding. And the catastrophe had fallen on her -so suddenly, they had turned her out so roughly, that she stood there -turning her money over in her pocket in a mechanical way, while she -wondered where she could go, and what she could do. - -A long line of cabs prevented her from quitting the pavement alongside -The Ladies' Paradise. When she at last ventured amongst the wheels -she crossed the Place Gaillon, as if intending to take the Rue -Louis-le-Grand; then altering her mind, she walked towards the Rue -Saint-Roch. But she still had no plan, for she stopped at the corner -of the Rue Neuve-des-Petits-Champs, into which she finally turned, -after looking around her with an undecided air. The Passage Choiseul -opening before her, she passed through it and found herself in the -Rue Monsigny, without knowing how, and ultimately came into the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin again. Her head was full of a fearful buzzing, she -thought of her box on seeing a commissionaire; but where could she have -it sent and why all this trouble, when but an hour ago she had still -had a bed in which to sleep that night? - -Then with her eyes fixed on the houses, she began examining the -windows. There were any number of bills announcing, "Apartments to -Let." But repeatedly overcome by the emotion which was agitating her -whole being she saw them confusedly. Was it possible? Thrown into -solitude so suddenly, lost in this immense city in which she was a -stranger, without support, without resources! She must contrive to -eat and sleep, however. The streets succeeded one another, after the -Rue des Moulins came the Rue Sainte-Anne. She wandered about the -neighbourhood, frequently retracing her steps, indeed always coming -back to the only spot she knew really well. And suddenly she felt quite -astonished for she was again standing before The Ladies' Paradise. -To escape this obsession she hurried into the Rue de la Michodière. -Fortunately Baudu was not at his door. The Old Elbeuf appeared -lifeless, behind its murky windows. She would never have dared to show -herself at her uncle's, for he now always pretended not to recognise -her, and she did not wish to become a burden to him, in the misfortune -which he had predicted to her. However, on the other side of the -street, a yellow bill attracted her attention. "Furnished room to let." -It was the first that did not frighten her, so poor was the aspect -of the house. She soon recognised it, with its two low storeys, and -rusty-coloured front, squeezed between The Ladies' Paradise and the old -Hôtel Duvillard. On the threshold of the umbrella shop, old Bourras, -hairy and bearded like a prophet, and with spectacles on his nose, -stood studying the ivory handle of a walking-stick. Tenanting the whole -house, he under-let the two upper floors furnished, in order to lighten -the rent. - -"You have a room to let, sir?" said Denise, approaching him in -obedience to an instinctive impulse. - -He raised his big bushy eyes, surprised to see her, for he knew all the -young persons at The Ladies' Paradise. And after noticing her clean -little gown and respectable appearance, he replied: "It won't suit you." - -"How much is it, then?" replied Denise. - -"Fifteen francs a month." - -She asked to see it. Then on entering the narrow shop, and observing -that he still eyed her with an astonished air, she told him of her -departure from the Paradise and of her desire not to trouble her uncle. -The old man thereupon fetched a key from a shelf in the back-shop, -a small dark room, where he did his cooking and had his bed; beyond -it, through a dirty window, you could espy a back-yard about six feet -square. - -"I'll walk in front to prevent you from falling," said Bourras, -entering the damp corridor on one side of the shop. - -He stumbled against a stair, and then commenced the ascent, reiterating -his warning to be careful. The rail, said he, was close against the -wall, there was a hole at the corner, sometimes the lodgers left their -dust-boxes there. So complete was the obscurity that Denise could -distinguish nothing, but simply felt how chilly the old damp plaster -was. On the first floor, however, a small window overlooking the yard -enabled her to obtain a vague glimpse of the rotten staircase, the -walls black with dirt and the cracked, discoloured doors. - -"If only one of these rooms were vacant," resumed Bourras. "You would -be very comfortable there. But they are always occupied." - -On the second floor the light increased, illumining with a raw pallor -the distressful aspect of the house. A journeyman-baker occupied the -first room, and it was the other, the further one, that was vacant. -When Bourras had opened the door he was obliged to remain on the -landing in order that Denise might enter with ease. The bed, placed -in the corner nearest the door, left just sufficient room for one -person to pass. At the other end there was a small walnut-wood chest -of drawers, a deal table stained black, and two chairs. Such lodgers -as did any cooking were obliged to kneel before the fire-place, where -there was an earthenware stove. - -"Oh! it's not luxurious," said the old man, "but the view from the -window is gay. You can see the people passing in the street." And, as -Denise gazed with surprise at the ceiling just above the bed, where -a chance lady-lodger had written her name--Ernestine--by drawing the -flame of a candle over the plaster, he added with a smile: "If I did a -lot of repairs, I should never make both ends meet. There you are; it's -all I have to offer." - -"I shall be very well here," declared the young girl. - -She paid a month in advance, asked for the linen--a pair of sheets -and two towels, and made her bed without delay, happy and relieved to -know where she would sleep that night. An hour later she had sent a -commissionaire to fetch her box, and was quite at home. - -During the first two months she had a terribly hard time of it. Being -unable to pay for Pépé's board, she had taken him away, and slept him -on an old couch lent by Bourras. She could not do with less than thirty -sous a day, including the rent, even by living on dry bread herself, -in order to procure a bit of meat for the little one. During the first -fortnight she got on fairly well, having begun her housekeeping with -about ten francs; and then too she was fortunate enough to find the -cravat-dealer, who paid her the eighteen francs six sous which were due -to her. But after that she became completely destitute. In vain did she -apply to the various large shops, the Place Clichy, the Bon Marché, and -the Louvre: the dead season had stopped business everywhere and she -was told to apply again in the autumn. More than five thousand drapery -employees, dismissed like herself, were wandering about Paris in want -of situations. She then tried to obtain work elsewhere; but in her -ignorance of Paris she did not know where to apply, and often accepted -most ungrateful tasks, sometimes not even getting paid. On certain -evenings she merely gave Pépé his dinner, a plate of soup, telling him -that she had dined out; and she would go to bed with her head in a -whirl, nourished by the fever which was burning her hands. When Jean -suddenly dropped into the midst of this poverty, he called himself a -scoundrel with such despairing violence that she was obliged to tell -some falsehood to reassure him; and she even occasionally found the -means to slip a two-franc piece into his hand, by way of proving that -she still had money. She never wept before the children. On Sundays, -when she was able to cook a piece of veal in the stove, on her knees -before the fire, the tiny room re-echoed with the gaiety of children, -careless about existence. Then, when Jean had returned to his master's -and Pépé was asleep, she spent a frightful night, in anguish how to -provide for the coming day. - -Other fears kept her awake. Two women lodging on the first floor -received visitors; and sometimes these visitors mistook the floor and -came banging at Denise's door. Bourras having quietly told her not to -answer, she buried her face under her pillow to escape hearing their -oaths. Then, too, her neighbour, the baker, who never came home till -morning, had shown a disposition to annoy her. But she suffered still -more from the annoyances of the street, the continual persecution of -passers-by. She could not go downstairs to buy a candle, in those -streets swarming with debauchees, without feeling a man's hot breath -behind her, and hearing crude, insulting remarks; and some individuals -pursued her to the very end of the dark passage, encouraged by the -sordid appearance of the house. Why had she no lover? It astonished -people and seemed ridiculous. She herself could not have explained why -she resisted, menaced as she was by hunger, and perturbed by all the -sexuality in the air around her. - -One evening when Denise had not even any bread for Pépé's soup, a -well-dressed man, wearing a decoration, commenced to follow her. On -reaching the passage he became brutal, and it was with loathing and -revolt that she banged the door in his face. Then, once more upstairs, -she sat down, with her hands trembling. The little one was sleeping. -What should she say if he woke up and asked her for bread? And yet had -she chosen her misery would have ceased, she could have had money, -dresses, and a fine room. It was very simple, every one came to that, -it was said; for a woman alone in Paris could not live by her labour. -But her whole being rose up in protest, against the disgrace of the -thing. She considered life a matter of logic, good conduct, and courage. - -Denise frequently questioned herself in this way. An old love story -floated in her memory, the story of a sailor's betrothed whom her -love guarded from all perils. At Valognes she had often hummed this -sentimental ballad whilst gazing into the deserted street. Had she -likewise some tender affection in her heart that she proved so brave? -She still thought of Hutin, full of uneasiness. Morning and evening she -saw him pass under her window. Now that he was second-hand he walked by -himself, saluted with respect by the mere salesmen. He never raised his -head, and she thought she suffered from his vanity. Still she watched -him without fear of being discovered; whereas, as soon as she saw -Mouret, who also passed every day, she began to tremble, and quickly -concealed herself, her bosom heaving. He had no need to know where she -was lodging. And then she would feel ashamed of the house, and suffer -at the idea of what he must think of her, although perhaps they would -never meet again. - -Denise still lived amidst all the hubbub of The Ladies' Paradise. -A mere wall separated her room from her old department; and, from -early morning, she lived her old days afresh, divining and hearing -the arrival of the crowd and the increasing bustle of business. The -slightest noise shook the old hovel which clung to the side of the -colossus, and shared in its pulsations. Moreover, she could not -avoid certain meetings. She twice had found herself face to face -with Pauline, who had offered her services, grieved to see her so -unfortunate; and she had even been obliged to tell a falsehood to avoid -receiving her friend or paying her a visit, one Sunday, at Baugé's. But -it was more difficult still for her to defend herself against Deloche's -desperate affection; aware of all her troubles, he watched her, waited -for her in the doorways. One day he wanted to lend her thirty francs, a -brother's savings, he said, with a blush. And these meetings made her -regret the shop, and continually brought her back to thoughts of the -life the others led there, as if she herself had not quitted it. - -No one had ever called upon her till one afternoon when she was -surprised by a knock. It was Colomban. She received him standing. For -his part he seemed greatly embarrassed and began stammering, asking how -she was getting on, and speaking of The Old Elbeuf. Perhaps, thought -she, it was Uncle Baudu who had sent him, regretting his rigour; for -he continued to pass her without taking any notice of her, although he -was well aware of her miserable position. However, when she plainly -questioned her visitor, he appeared more embarrassed than ever. No, -no, it was not the governor who had sent him; and he finished by -naming Clara--he simply wanted to talk about Clara. Then little by -little he grew bolder, and asked Denise's advice, imagining no doubt -that she might be willing to play the part of a go-between. And it -was in vain that she tried to dishearten him, by reproaching him with -the pain he was causing Geneviève for such a heartless girl. He came -up another day, indeed got into the habit of coming to see her. This -seemed to suffice for his timid passion; he continually began the same -conversation afresh, unable to resist the impulse and trembling with -joy at finding himself with one who had approached Clara. And all this -caused Denise to live more than ever at The Ladies' Paradise. - -Towards the end of September the poor girl experienced the blackest -misery. Pépé had fallen ill, having caught a severe cold. He ought to -have had plenty of good broth, and she had not even a piece of bread to -give him. One evening, completely conquered, she was sobbing, in one of -those despairing straits which drive women on to the streets, or into -the Seine, when old Bourras gently knocked at the door. He had brought -with him a loaf, and a milk-can full of broth. - -"There! there's something for the youngster," said he in his abrupt -way. "Don't cry like that; it annoys my lodgers." And as she thanked -him with a fresh outburst of tears, he resumed: "Do keep quiet! Come -and see me to-morrow. I've some work for you." - -Since the terrible blow which The Ladies' Paradise had dealt him by -opening an umbrella department, Bourras had ceased to employ any -workwomen. In order to save expenses he did everything himself, -cleaning, mending, and sewing. His trade moreover was diminishing -to such a point that he sometimes remained without work. And so he -was obliged to invent some occupation on the following day when he -installed Denise in a corner of his shop. He felt, however, that he -could not allow any one to die of hunger in his house. - -"You'll have two francs a day," said he. "When you find something -better, you can leave me." - -She was afraid of him, and did the work so quickly that he was -embarrassed to find her more. He had given her some silk to stitch, -some lace to repair. During the first few days she did not dare to -raise her head, uneasy at feeling him near her, with his lion-like -mane, hooked nose, and piercing eyes, shaded by bushy brows. His -voice was harsh, his gestures were extravagant, and the mothers of -the neighbourhood often frightened their youngsters by threatening to -send for him, as they would for a policeman. However, the boys never -passed his door without calling out some insulting words, which he did -not even seem to hear. All his maniacal anger was directed against the -scoundrels who dishonoured his trade by selling cheap trashy articles, -which dogs, said he, would not consent to use. - -Denise trembled whenever he burst out thus: "Art is done for, I tell -you! There's not a single respectable handle made nowadays. They make -sticks, but as for handles, it's all up! Bring me a proper handle, and -I'll give you twenty francs!" - -He had a real artist's pride; not a workman in Paris was capable of -turning out a handle like his, as light and as strong. He carved the -knobs with charming ingenuity, continually inventing fresh designs, -flowers, fruit, animals, and heads, all executed in a free and -life-like style. A little pocket-knife sufficed him and, with his -spectacles on his nose he would spend whole days in chipping bits of -boxwood and ebony. - -"A pack of ignorant beggars," said he, "who are satisfied with sticking -a certain quantity of silk on so much whalebone! They buy their handles -by the gross, handles ready-made. And they sell just what they like! I -tell you, art is done for!" - -At last Denise began to feel easier. He had desired that Pépé should -come down into the shop to play, for he was wonderfully fond of -children. When the little one was crawling about on all-fours, neither -of them had room to move. She sat in her corner doing the mending, he -near the window, carving away with his little knife. Every day now -brought round the same work and the same conversation. Whilst working, -he would continually assail The Ladies' Paradise; never weary of -explaining how affairs stood in the terrible duel between that bazaar -and himself. He had occupied his house since 1845, and had a thirty -years' lease of it at a rent of eighteen hundred francs a year; and, as -he made a thousand francs out of his four furnished rooms, he only paid -eight hundred for the shop. It was a mere trifle, he had no expenses, -and could thus hold out for a long time still. To hear him, there was -no doubt about his eventual triumph; he would certainly swallow up the -monster. Then suddenly he would break off to ask: - -"Have they got any dog's heads like that?" - -And he would blink his eyes behind his glasses, whilst judging the -dog's head which he was carving, with its lip turned up and its fangs -displayed, in a life-like growl. Pépé delighted with the dog, would -thereupon get up, resting his two little arms on the old man's knee. - -"As long as I make both ends meet I don't care a hang about the rest," -the latter resumed, whilst delicately shaping the dog's tongue with the -point of his knife. "The scoundrels have taken away my profits; but -if I'm making nothing I'm not losing anything yet, or at least only a -trifle. And, you see, I'm ready to sacrifice everything rather than -yield." - -Thereupon he would brandish his knife, and his white hair would blow -about in a storm of anger. - -"But if they made you a reasonable offer," Denise would mildly observe, -without raising her eyes from her needle, "it would be wiser to accept -it." - -This suggestion, however, only produced an outburst of ferocious -obstinacy. "Never! If my head were under the knife I should still say -no, by heavens I would! I've another ten years' lease, and they shan't -have the house before then, even if I should have to die of hunger -within the four bare walls. Twice already they've tried to get over me. -They offered me twelve thousand francs for my good-will, and eighteen -thousand francs for the last ten years of my lease; in all thirty -thousand. But no, no--not for fifty thousand even! I have them in my -power, and intend to see them licking the dust before me!" - -"Thirty thousand francs! it's a good sum," thereupon resumed Denise. -"You could go and establish yourself elsewhere. And suppose they were -to buy the house?" - -Bourras, now putting the finishing touches to his dog's tongue, -appeared absorbed for a moment, a childish laugh pervading his -venerable, prophet's face. Then he continued: "The house, no fear! They -spoke of buying it last year, and offered eighty thousand francs, twice -as much as it's worth. But the landlord, a retired fruiterer, as big a -scoundrel as they, wanted to make them shell out more. Besides, they -are suspicious about me; they know I should then be even less inclined -to give way. No! no! here I am, and here I intend to stay. The emperor -with all his cannon could not turn me out." - -Denise did not dare to say any more, but went on with her work, whilst -the old man continued to vent short sentences, between two cuts of his -knife; now muttering something to the effect that the game had hardly -begun; and then that they would see wonderful things later on, for he -had certain plans which would sweep their umbrella counter away; and, -deeply blended with his obstinacy, you detected the personal revolt of -the skilled manufacturer against the growing invasion of commonplace -rubbish. Pépé, however, at last climbed on his knees, and impatiently -stretched out his hands towards the dog's head. - -"Give it me, sir." - -"Presently, youngster," the old man replied in a voice that suddenly -became softer. "He hasn't any eyes as yet; we must make his eyes now." -And whilst carving the eyes he continued talking to Denise. "Do you -hear them? Isn't there a roar next door? That's what exasperates me -more than anything, my word of honour! to have them always on my back -like this with their infernal locomotive-like noise." - -It made his little table tremble, he asserted. The whole shop was -shaken, and he would spend the entire afternoon without a customer of -his own but amidst all the trepidation of the jostling multitude in The -Ladies' Paradise. From morning to night this was a subject for eternal -grumbling. Another good day's work; they were knocking against the -wall, the silk department must have cleared ten thousand francs; or -else he made merry, not a sound came from behind the wall, a showery -day had killed the receipts. And the slightest stir, the faintest -vibration, thus furnished him with matter for endless comment. - -"Did you hear? some one has slipped down! Ah, if they could only all -fall and break their backs!--That, my dear, is a dispute between -some ladies. So much the better! So much the better!--Ah! you hear -the parcels falling into the basement? What a row they make. It's -disgusting!" - -It did not do for Denise to discuss his remarks, for he bitterly -retorted by reminding her of the shameful way in which she had been -dismissed. For the hundredth time she was obliged to relate her life -in the jacket and mantle department, the hardships she had at first -endured, the small unhealthy bedrooms, the bad food, and the continual -battle between the salesmen; and thus they would talk about the shop -from morning to night, absorbing it hourly in the very air they -breathed. - -But with eager, outstretched hands Pépé repeated: "Give it me, sir, -give it me!" - -The dog's head was finished and Bourras held it at a distance, then -examined it closely with noisy glee. "Take care, it will bite you!" he -said, "there, go and play, and don't break it, if you can help it." -Then speedily reverting to his fixed idea, he shook his fist at the -wall. "You may do all you can to knock the house down," he exclaimed. -"You shan't have it, even if you invade the whole street!" - -Denise now had something to eat each day, and she was extremely -grateful to the old umbrella-dealer, realizing that he had a good heart -beneath his strange, violent ways. Nevertheless she felt a strong -desire to find some work elsewhere, for she often saw him inventing -some trifle for her to do and fully understood that he did not require -a workwoman in the present collapse of his business, and was merely -employing her out of charity. Six months had passed thus, and the dull -winter season having again returned, she was despairing of finding a -situation before March, when, one evening in January, Deloche, who was -watching for her in a doorway, gave her a bit of advice. Why did she -not call on Robineau; perhaps he might want some one? - -During the previous September, Robineau, though fearing to jeopardize -his wife's sixty thousand francs, had made up his mind to buy Vinçard's -silk-business. He had paid forty thousand for the good-will and stock, -and was starting with the remaining twenty thousand. It was not much, -but he had Gaujean behind him to back him up with any amount of credit. -Gaujean ever since his quarrel with The Ladies' Paradise had been -longing to stir up competitors against the colossus; and he thought -victory certain, by creating special shops in the neighbourhood, where -the public would find a large and varied choice of articles. Only the -very rich Lyons manufacturers, such as Dumonteil, could accept the -big shops' terms, satisfied to keep their looms going with them, and -seeking their profits in their sales to less important establishments. -But Gaujean was far from having the solidity and staying power -possessed by Dumonteil. For a long time a mere commission agent, it -was only during the last five or six years that he had possessed looms -of his own, and he still had a lot of his work done by piece-workers, -furnishing them with the raw material and paying them by the yard. It -was precisely this system which, increasing his manufacturing expenses, -had prevented him from competing with Dumonteil for the supply of the -Paris Delight. This had filled him with rancour, and he saw in Robineau -the instrument of a decisive battle with those drapery bazaars which he -accused of ruining French manufactures. - -When Denise called she found Madame Robineau alone. Daughter of an -overseer in the Highways and Bridges Service, entirely ignorant -of business matters, the young wife still retained the charming -awkwardness of a girl educated in a convent. She was dark, very pretty, -with a gentle, cheerful manner, which made her extremely charming. -Moreover she adored her husband, living solely by his love. Just as -Denise was about to leave her name Robineau himself came in, and at -once engaged her, one of his two saleswomen having left him on the -previous day to go to The Ladies' Paradise. - -"They don't leave us a single good hand," said he. "However, I shall -feel quite easy with you, for you are like me, you can't be very fond -of them. Come to-morrow." - -In the evening Denise hardly knew how to announce her departure to -Bourras. In fact, he called her an ungrateful girl, and lost his -temper. And when, with tears in her eyes, she tried to defend herself -by intimating that she could see through his charitable conduct, he -softened down, stammered that he had plenty of work, that she was -leaving him indeed just as he was about to bring out a new umbrella of -his invention. - -"And Pépé?" he asked. - -This was Denise's great trouble; she dared not take him back to Madame -Gras, and could not leave him alone in the bedroom, shut up from -morning to night. - -"Very good, I'll keep him," said the old man; "he'll be all right in -my shop. We'll do the cooking together." And then as she refused the -offer fearing that it might inconvenience him, he thundered out: "Great -heavens! have you no confidence in me? I shan't eat your child!" - -Denise was much happier at Robineau's. He only paid her sixty francs -a month, with her board, without giving her any commission on the -sales, that not being the rule in the old-fashioned houses; but she -was treated with great kindness, especially by Madame Robineau who was -always smiling at her counter. He, nervous and worried, was sometimes -rather abrupt. At the expiration of the first month, Denise had -become quite one of the family, like the other saleswoman, a silent, -consumptive, little body. The Robineaus were not at all particular -before them, but freely talked of the business whilst at table in the -back-shop, which looked on to a large yard. And it was there they -decided one evening to start the campaign against The Ladies' Paradise. -Gaujean had come to dinner and, after the roast leg of mutton, had -broached the subject in his Lyonese voice, thickened by the Rhône fogs. - -"It's getting unbearable," said he. "They go to Dumonteil, purchase the -sole right to a design, and take three hundred pieces straight off, -insisting on a reduction of half a franc a yard; and, as they pay ready -money, they also secure the profit of eighteen per cent. discount. Very -often Dumonteil barely makes four sous a yard out of it. He simply -works to keep his looms going, for a loom that stands still is a dead -loss. Under these circumstances how can you expect that we, with our -limited plant, and our piece-workers, can keep up the struggle?" - -Robineau, pensive, forgot his dinner. "Three hundred pieces!" he -murmured. "I tremble when I take a dozen, and at ninety days too. -They can sell at a franc or two francs cheaper than we can. I have -calculated that their catalogued articles are offered at fifteen per -cent. less than our own prices. That's what kills the small Houses." - -He was passing through a period of discouragement. His wife, full of -anxiety, looked at him with a loving air. She understood very little -about the business, all these figures confused her; she could not -understand why people worried over things so much, when it was so easy -to be gay and love one another. However, it sufficed that her husband -desired to conquer, and she became as impassioned as he himself, and -would have stood to her counter till death. - -"But why don't all the manufacturers come to an understanding -together?" resumed Robineau, violently. "They could then lay down the -law, instead of submitting to it." - -Gaujean, who had asked for another slice of mutton, was slowly chewing. -"Ah! why, why? The looms must be kept going, I tell you. When you have -weavers a little bit everywhere, in the neighbourhood of Lyons, in the -Gard, in the Isère, you can't stand still a day without an enormous -loss. Then we who sometimes employ piece-workers with ten or fifteen -looms of their own are better able to control our output, whereas the -big manufacturers are obliged to have continual outlets, the quickest -and most extensive possible. And so they are on their knees before the -big shops. I know three or four who out-bid each other, and who would -sooner work at a loss than not obtain the orders. But they make up for -it with the small establishments like yours. Yes, if they manage to -live through the big places, they make their profit out of you little -fellows. Heaven knows how the crisis will end!" - -"It's odious!" exclaimed Robineau, relieved by this cry of anger. - -Denise was quietly listening. With her instinctive love of logic and -life she was secretly in favour of the big shops. - -They had relapsed into silence, and were eating some preserved French -beans, when at last she ventured to remark in a cheerful tone: "The -public does not complain." - -At this Madame Robineau could not restrain a little laugh, which -annoyed both her husband and Gaujean. No doubt the customer was -satisfied, for, in the end, it was the customer who profited by -the fall in prices. But everybody must live; where would they all -be if, under the pretext of conducing to the general welfare, the -consumer was fattened at the expense of the producer? And then began -a long discussion. Denise affected to be joking, though all the -while producing solid arguments. By the new system the middle-men -disappeared, and this greatly contributed to cheapen the articles; -besides, the manufacturers could no longer live without the big -shops, for as soon as one of them lost their custom, failure became a -certainty; in short, it was a natural commercial evolution. It would -be impossible to prevent things from going on as they ought to, when -everybody was working towards that result, whether they liked it or not. - -"So you are for those who turned you out into the street?" thereupon -asked Gaujean. - -Denise became very red. She herself was surprised at the vivacity of -her defence. What had she at heart, that such a flame should have risen -in her breast? - -"Dear me, no!" she replied. "Perhaps I'm wrong, for you are more -competent to judge than I. I simply express my opinion. The prices, -instead of being settled by fifty houses as they formerly used to be, -are now fixed by four or five, which have lowered them, thanks to the -power of their capital, and the strength of their immense custom. So -much the better for the public, that's all!" - -Robineau was not angry, but had become grave, and had fixed his eyes -on the table-cloth. He had often felt the force of the new style of -business, the evolution which the young girl spoke about; and in his -clear, quiet moments he would ask himself why he should try to resist -such a powerful current, which must carry everything before it. Madame -Robineau herself, on seeing her husband deep in thought, glanced with -approval at Denise, who had modestly resumed her silent attitude. - -"Come," resumed Gaujean, to cut short the argument, "all that is simply -theory. Let's talk of our matter." - -After the cheese, the servant brought in some jam and some pears. He -took some jam, and ate it with a spoon, with the unconscious greediness -of a big man very fond sweet things. - -"This is it," he resumed, "you must attack their Paris Delight, which -has been their success of the year. I have come to an understanding -with several of my brother manufacturers at Lyons, and have brought you -an exceptional offer--a black silk, a faille which you can sell at five -francs fifty centimes a mêtre. They sell theirs at five francs sixty, -don't they? Well! this will be two sous cheaper, and that will suffice -to upset them." - -At this Robineau's eyes lighted up again. In his continual nervous -torment, he often skipped like this from despair to hope. "Have you -got a sample?" he asked. And when Gaujean drew from his pocket-book a -little square of silk, he went into raptures, exclaiming: "Why, this -is a handsomer silk than the Paris Delight! At all events it produces -a better effect, the grain is coarser. You are right, we must make the -attempt. Ah! I'll bring them to my feet or give up for good!" - -Madame Robineau, sharing the enthusiasm, declared the silk superb, -and even Denise herself thought they might succeed. The latter part -of the dinner thus proved very gay. They talked in a loud tone; it -seemed as if The Ladies' Paradise was at its last gasp. Gaujean, who -was finishing the pot of jam, explained what enormous sacrifices he -and his colleagues would be obliged to make to deliver an article of -such quality at so low a price; but they would ruin themselves rather -than yield; they had sworn to kill the big shops. As the coffee came in -the gaiety was still further increased by the arrival of Vinçard who -called, on his way past, just to see how his successor was getting on. - -"Famous!" he cried, feeling the silk. "You'll floor them, I stake my -life! Ah! you owe me a rare good thing; I told you that this was a -golden affair!" - -He had just taken a restaurant at Vincennes. It was an old, cherished -idea of his, slyly nurtured while he was struggling with his silk -business, trembling with fear lest he should not sell it before the -crash came, and vowing that he would afterwards put his money into -some undertaking where he could rob folks at his ease. The idea of a -restaurant had struck him at the wedding of a cousin, who had been -made to pay ten francs for a tureen of dish water, in which floated -some Italian paste. And, in presence of the Robineaus, the joy he felt -at having saddled them with an unremunerative business, which he had -despaired of getting rid of, made his face with its round eyes and -large loyal-looking mouth, a face beaming with health, expand as it had -never done before. - -"And your pains?" asked Madame Robineau, good-naturedly. - -"My pains?" he murmured, in astonishment. - -"Yes, those rheumatic pains which tormented you so much when you were -here." - -He then recollected the fibs he had told and slightly coloured. "Oh! -I suffer from them still!" said he. "But the country air, you know, -has done me a deal of good. Never mind, on your side you've done a -good stroke of business. Had it not been for my rheumatics, I could -soon have retired with ten thousand francs a year. Yes, on my word of -honour!" - -A fortnight later, the battle between Robineau and The Ladies' Paradise -began. It became celebrated, and for a time occupied the whole Parisian -market. Robineau, using his adversary's weapons, had advertised -extensively in the newspapers. Besides that, he made a fine display, -piling huge bales of the famous silk in his windows and displaying -immense white tickets, on which the price, five francs and a half per -mêtre, appeared in gigantic figures. It was this price that caused a -revolution among the women; it was two sous less than that charged at -The Ladies' Paradise, and the silk appeared more substantial. From the -first day a crowd of customers flocked in. Madame Marty bought a dress -she did not need, pretending it to be a bargain; Madame Bourdelais -also thought the silk very fine, but preferred waiting, guessing -no doubt what would happen. And, indeed during the following week, -Mouret boldly reduced the price of The Paris Delight by four sous, -after a lively discussion with Bourdoncle and the other managers, -in which he had succeeded in convincing them that they must accept -the challenge, even at a sacrifice; for these four sous represented -a dead loss, the silk being already sold at strict cost price. It -was a heavy blow to Robineau, who had not imagined that his rival -would lower his price; for this suicidal style of competition, this -practice of selling at a loss, was then unknown. However, the tide -of customers, attracted by Mouret's cheapness, had immediately flown -back towards the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, whilst the shop in the Rue -Neuve-des-Petits-Champs gradually emptied. - -Gaujean then hastened from Lyons; there were hurried confabulations, -and they finished by coming to a heroic resolution; the silk should -be lowered in price, they would sell it at five francs six sous, and -lower than that no one could go, without acting madly. But the next -day Mouret marked his material at five francs four sous. Then the -struggle became rageful. Robineau replied by five francs three sous, -whereupon Mouret at once ticketed The Paris Delight at five francs and -two sous. Neither lowered more than a sou at a time now, for both lost -considerable sums as often as they made this present to the public. -The customers laughed, delighted with this duel, quite stirred by the -terrible thrusts which the rivals dealt one another in order to please -them. At last Mouret ventured as low as five francs; and his staff -paled and shuddered at such a challenge to fortune. Robineau, utterly -beaten, out of breath, also stopped at five francs, not having the -courage to go any lower. And thus they rested on their positions, face -to face, with the massacre of their goods around them. - -But if honour was saved on both sides, the situation was becoming -fatal for Robineau. The Ladies' Paradise had money at its disposal -and a patronage which enabled it to balance its profits; whereas he, -sustained by Gaujean alone, unable to recoup his losses by gaining on -other articles, found himself nearing the end of his tether, slipping -further and further down the slope toward bankruptcy. He was dying from -his hardihood, despite the numerous customers whom the hazards of the -struggle had brought him. One of his secret worries was to see these -customers slowly quitting him, returning to The Ladies' Paradise, after -all the money he had lost in the efforts he had made to secure them. - -One day he quite lost patience. A customer, Madame de Boves, had -called at his shop for some mantles, for he had added a ready-made -department to his business. She would not come to a decision, however, -but complained of the quality of the material, and at last exclaimed: -"Their Paris Delight is a great deal stronger." - -Robineau restrained himself, assuring her that she was mistaken with a -tradesman's politeness, all the more respectful, moreover, as he feared -to reveal his inward revolt. - -"But just look at the silk of this cloak!" she resumed, "one would -really take it for so much cobweb. You may say what you like, sir, but -their silk at five francs is like leather compared with this." - -He did not reply; with the blood rushing to his face, he kept his lips -tightly closed. In point of fact he had ingeniously thought of buying -some of his rival's silk for these mantles; so that it was Mouret, not -he, who lost on the material. And to conceal his practice he simply cut -off the selvage. - -"Really," he murmured at last, "you think the Paris Delight thicker?" - -"Oh! a hundred times!" said Madame de Boves. "There's no comparison." - -This injustice on her part, this fixed determination to run down the -goods in spite of all evidence filled him with indignation. And, as she -was still turning the mantle over with a disgusted air, a little bit of -the blue and silver selvage, which through carelessness had not been -cut off, appeared under the lining. Thereupon he could not restrain -himself any longer; but confessed the truth at all hazards. - -"Well, madame, this is Paris Delight. I bought it myself! Look at the -selvage." - -Madame de Boves went away greatly annoyed, and a number of customers -quitted him, for the affair became known. And he, amid this ruin, when -fear for the future came upon him, only trembled for his wife, who had -been brought up in a happy, peaceful home, and would never be able to -endure a life of poverty. What would become of her if a catastrophe -should throw them into the street, with a load of debts? It was his -fault, he ought never to have touched her money. She was obliged to -comfort him. Wasn't the money as much his as hers? He loved her dearly, -and she wanted nothing more; she gave him everything, her heart and her -life. They could be heard embracing one another in the back shop. Then, -little by little, the affairs of the house got into a regular groove; -each month the losses increased, but with a slowness which postponed -the fatal issue. A tenacious hope sustained them, and they still -predicted the approaching discomfiture of The Ladies' Paradise. - -"Pooh!" he would say, "we are young yet. The future is ours." - -"And besides, what matters, if you have done what you wanted to do?" -she resumed. "As long as you are satisfied, I am as well, darling." - -Denise's affection for them increased on seeing their tenderness. -She trembled, divining their inevitable fall; however, she dared not -interfere. And it was here that she ended by fully understanding the -power of the new system of business, and became impassioned for this -force which was transforming Paris. Her ideas were ripening, a woman's -grace was being evolved from the wildness of a child freshly arrived -from Valognes. Her life too was a pretty pleasant one, notwithstanding -its fatigue and the little money she earned. When she had spent all -the day on her feet, she had to go straight home, and look after Pépé, -whom old Bourras fortunately insisted on feeding; but there was still -a lot to do; a shirt to wash, a blouse to mend; without mentioning the -noise made by the youngster, which made her head ache fit to split. -She never went to bed before midnight. Sunday was her hardest day: for -she then cleaned her room, and mended her own things, so busy that it -was often five o'clock before she could comb her hair. However, she -sometimes went out for health's sake, taking the little one for a long -walk, out towards Neuilly; and their treat over there was to drink a -cup of milk at a dairyman's, who allowed them to sit down in his yard. -Jean disdained these excursions; he put in an appearance now and again -on week-day evenings and then disappeared, pretending he had other -visits to pay. He asked for no more money, but he arrived with such a -melancholy countenance, that his anxious sister always managed to keep -a five-franc piece for him. That was her sole luxury. - -"Five francs!" he would exclaim each time. "My stars! you're too good! -It just happens, there's the----" - -"Not another word," Denise would say; "I don't want to know." - -Three months passed away, spring was coming back. However Denise -refused to return to Joinville with Pauline and Baugé. She sometimes -met them in the Rue Saint-Roch, on leaving the shop in the evening. -Pauline, on one occasion when she was alone, confided to her that she -was perhaps going to marry her lover; it was she who was hesitating, -for they did not care for married saleswomen at The Ladies' Paradise. -This idea of marriage surprised Denise and she did not dare to advise -her friend. Then one day, just as Colomban had stopped her near the -fountain to talk about Clara, the latter tripped across the road; and -Denise was obliged to run away, for he implored her to ask her old -comrade if she would marry him. What was the matter with them all? why -were they tormenting themselves like this? She thought herself very -fortunate not to be in love with anybody. - -"You've heard the news?" the umbrella dealer said to her one evening on -her return from business. - -"No, Monsieur Bourras." - -"Well! the scoundrels have bought the Hôtel Duvillard. I'm hemmed in on -all sides!" He was waving his long arms about, in a burst of fury which -made his white mane stand up on end. "A regular underhand affair," -he resumed. "But it seems that the hotel belonged to the Crédit -Immobilier, whose president, Baron Hartmann, has just sold it to our -famous Mouret. And now they've got me on the right, on the left, and at -the back, just in the way that I'm holding the knob of this stick in my -hand!" - -It was true, the sale must have been concluded on the previous day. -Bourras's small house, hemmed in between The Ladies' Paradise and the -Hôtel Duvillard, clinging there like a swallow's nest in a crack of -a wall, seemed certain to be crushed, as soon as the shop galleries -should invade the hôtel. And the time had now arrived, the colossus had -outflanked the feeble obstacle, and was investing it with its piles of -goods, threatening to swallow it up, absorb it by the sole force of -its giant aspiratory powers. Bourras could well feel the close embrace -which was making his shop creak. He thought he could see the place -getting smaller; he was afraid of being absorbed himself, of being -carried off into kingdom come with his sticks and umbrellas, so loudly -was the terrible machine now roaring. - -"Do you hear them?" he asked. "One would think they were eating the -very walls! And in my cellar and in the attic, everywhere, there's the -same noise--like that of a saw cutting through the plaster. But never -mind! They won't flatten me as easily as they might a sheet of paper. I -shall stick here, even if they blow up my roof, and the rain falls in -bucketfuls on my bed!" - -It was just at this moment that Mouret caused fresh proposals to -be made to Bourras; they would increase the figure of their offer, -they would give him fifty thousand francs for his good-will and the -remainder of his lease. But this offer redoubled the old man's anger; -he refused in an insulting manner. How those scoundrels must rob people -to be able to pay fifty thousand francs for a thing which wasn't worth -ten thousand! And he defended his shop as a young girl defends her -virtue, for honour's sake. - -Denise noticed that Bourras was pre-occupied during the next fortnight. -He wandered about in a feverish manner, measuring the walls of his -house, surveying it from the middle of the street with the air of -an architect. Then one morning some workmen arrived. This was the -decisive blow. He had conceived the bold idea of beating The Ladies' -Paradise on its own ground by making certain concessions to modern -luxury. Customers, who had often reproached him for the darkness of -his shop, would certainly come back to it again, when they saw it -all bright and new. In the first place, the workmen stopped up the -crevices and whitewashed the frontage, then they painted the woodwork -a light green, and even carried the splendour so far as to gild the -sign-board. A sum of three thousand francs, held in reserve by Bourras -as a last resource, was swallowed up in this way. Moreover, the whole -neighbourhood was revolutionized by it all, people came to look at -him losing his head amid all these riches, and no longer able to find -the things he was accustomed to. He did not seem to be at home in -that bright frame, that tender setting; he looked quite scared, with -his long beard and white hair. On the opposite side of the street -passers-by lingered in astonishment at seeing him waving his arms -about while he carved his handles. And he was in a state of fever, -perpetually afraid of dirtying his shop, more and more at sea amidst -this luxury which he did not at all understand. - -Meantime, as at Robineau's, so at Bourras's was the campaign against -The Ladies' Paradise carried on. Bourras had just brought out his -invention, the automatic umbrella, which later on was to become -popular. But The Paradise people immediately improved on the invention, -and a struggle of prices began. Bourras had an article at one franc -and nineteen sous, in zanella, with a steel mounting, an everlasting -article said the ticket. But he was especially anxious to vanquish his -competitors with his handles of bamboo, dogwood, olive, myrtle, rattan, -indeed every imaginable sort of handle. The Paradise people, less -artistic, paid more attention to the material, extolling their alpacas -and mohairs, twills and sarcenets. And they came out victorious. -Bourras, in despair, repeated that art was done for, that he was -reduced to carving his handles for the pleasure of doing so, without -any hope of selling them. - -"It's my fault!" he cried to Denise. "I never ought to have kept a lot -of rotten articles, at one franc nineteen sous! That's where these new -notions lead one to. I wanted to follow the example of those brigands; -so much the better if I'm ruined by it!" - -The month of July proved very warm, and Denise suffered greatly in her -tiny room under the roof. So, after leaving the shop, she sometimes -went to fetch Pépé, and instead of going up-stairs at once, took a -stroll in the Tuileries Gardens until the gates closed. One evening -as she was walking towards the chestnut-trees she suddenly stopped -short with surprise: for a few yards off, coming straight towards her, -she fancied she recognised Hutin. But her heart commenced to beat -violently. It was Mouret, who had dined on the other side of the river -and was hurrying along on foot to call on Madame Desforges. At the -abrupt movement which she made to escape him, he caught sight of her. -The night was coming on, but still he recognised her clearly. - -"Ah, it's you, mademoiselle!" he said. - -She did not reply, astonished that he should deign to stop. He, -smiling, concealed his constraint beneath an air of amiable protection. -"You are still in Paris?" he inquired. - -"Yes, sir," said she at last. - -She was slowly drawing back, desirous of making a bow and continuing -her walk. But he abruptly turned and followed her under the dark -shadows of the chestnut-trees. The air was getting cooler, some -children were laughing in the distance, while trundling their hoops. - -"This is your brother, is it not?" he resumed, looking at Pépé. - -The little boy, frightened by the unusual presence of a gentleman, was -walking gravely by his sister's side, holding her tightly by the hand. - -"Yes, sir," she replied once more; and as she did so she blushed, -thinking of the abominable inventions circulated by Marguerite and -Clara. - -No doubt Mouret understood why she was blushing, for he quickly added: -"Listen, mademoiselle, I have to apologize to you. Yes, I should -have been happy to have told you sooner how much I regret the error -that was made. You were accused too lightly of a fault. However, the -evil is done. I simply wanted to assure you that every one in our -establishment now knows of your affection for your brothers." Then he -went on speaking with a respectful politeness to which the saleswomen -of The Ladies' Paradise were little accustomed. Denise's confusion had -increased; but her heart was full of joy. He knew, then, that she had -ever remained virtuous! Both remained silent; he still lingered beside -her, regulating his walk to the child's short steps; and the distant -murmurs of the city died away under the black shadows of the spreading -chestnut-trees. "I have only one reparation to offer you," he resumed. -"Naturally, if you would like to come back to us----" - -But she interrupted him, refusing his offer with a feverish haste. -"No, sir, I cannot. Thank you all the same, but I have found another -situation." - -He knew it, they had informed him she was with Robineau; and leisurely, -putting himself on a footing of amiable equality, he spoke of the -latter, rendering him full justice. He was a very intelligent fellow, -no doubt, but too nervous. He would certainly come to grief: Gaujean -had burdened him with a very heavy business, in which they would both -suffer. Thereupon Denise, subjugated by this familiarity, opened her -mind further, and allowed it to be seen that she was on the side of -the big shops in the war between them and the small traders. She grew -animated, citing examples, showing herself well up in the question -and even expressing new and enlightened ideas. He, quite charmed, -listened to her in surprise; and turned round, trying to distinguish -her features in the growing darkness. She appeared to be still the -same with her simple dress and sweet face; but from amidst her modest -bashfulness, there seemed to ascend a penetrating perfume, of which he -felt the powerful influence. Doubtless this little girl had got used to -the atmosphere of Paris, she was becoming quite a woman, and was really -perturbing, with her sound common-sense and her beautiful sweet-scented -hair. - -"As you are on our side," said he, laughing, "why do you stay with our -adversaries? I was told too that you lodged with Bourras." - -"A very worthy man," she murmured. "No, not a bit of it! he's an old -idiot, a madman who will force me to ruin him, though I should be -glad to get rid of him with a fortune! Besides, your place is not in -his house, which has a bad reputation. He lets to certain women----" -But realizing that the young girl was confused, he hastened to add: -"Oh! one can be respectable anywhere, and there's even more merit in -remaining so when one is so poor." - -They took a few steps in silence. Pépé seemed to be listening with -the attentive air of a precocious child. Now and again he raised his -eyes to his sister, whose burning hand, quivering with sudden starts, -astonished him. - -"Look here!" resumed Mouret, gaily, "will you be my ambassador? I -intended increasing my offer to-morrow--of proposing eighty thousand -francs to Bourras. Will you speak to him first about it? Tell him he's -cutting his own throat. Perhaps he'll listen to you, as he has a liking -for you, and you'll be doing him a real service." - -"Very well!" said Denise, smiling also, "I will deliver your message, -but I am afraid I shall not succeed." - -Then a fresh silence ensued, neither of them having anything more -to say. For a moment he attempted to talk of her uncle Baudu; but -had to give it up on seeing how uncomfortable this made the girl. -Nevertheless, they continued walking side by side, and at last found -themselves near the Rue de Rivoli, in a path where it was still light. -On emerging from the darkness of the trees this was like a sudden -awakening. He understood that he could not detain her any longer. - -"Good night, mademoiselle," he said. - -"Good night, sir." - -Nevertheless he did not go away. On raising his eyes he had perceived -in front of him, at the corner of the Rue d'Alger, the lighted windows -of Madame Desforges's flat whither he was bound. And looking at Denise, -whom he could now see, in the pale twilight, she appeared to him very -puny compared to Henriette. Why was it then that she touched his heart -in this manner? It was a stupid caprice. - -"This little man is getting tired," he resumed, by way of saying -something. "Remember, mind, that our house will always be open to you; -you've only to knock, and I'll give you every compensation possible. -Good night, mademoiselle." - -"Good night, sir." - -When Mouret had quitted her, Denise went back under the chestnut-trees, -into the black gloom. For a long time she walked on at random, between -the huge trunks, her face burning, her head in a whirl of confused -ideas. Pépé still held her hand and was stretching out his short legs -to keep pace with her. She had forgotten him. But at last he said: "You -go too quick, little mother." - -At this she sat down on a bench; and as he was tired, the child went to -sleep on her lap. She held him there, pressing him to her virgin bosom, -her eyes wandering far away into the darkness. When, an hour later, -they slowly returned to the Rue de la Michodière, she had regained her -usual quiet, sensible expression. - -"Hell and thunder!" shouted Bourras, when he saw her coming, "the -blow is struck. That rascal of a Mouret has just bought my house." He -was half mad, and was striking himself in the middle of the shop with -such outrageous gestures that he almost broke the windows. "Ah! the -scoundrel! It's the fruiterer who's written to tell me of it. And how -much do you think the rogue, has got for the house? One hundred and -fifty thousand francs, four times its value! There's another thief, -if you like! Just fancy, he has taken advantage of my embellishments, -making capital out of the fact that the house has been done up. How -much longer are they going to make a fool of me?" - -The thought that his money spent on paint and whitewash had brought -the fruiterer a profit exasperated him. And now Mouret would be his -landlord; he would have to pay him! It was beneath this detested -competitor's roof that he must in future live! Such a thought raised -his fury to the highest pitch. - -"Ah! I could hear them digging a hole through the wall. At this moment, -they are here, eating out of my very plate, so to say!" - -And the shop shook under his heavy fist as he banged it on the counter, -making the umbrellas and the parasols dance again. - -Denise, bewildered, could not get in a word. She stood there, -motionless, waiting for the end of this fit; whilst Pépé, very tired, -fell asleep again, this time on a chair. At last, when Bourras became -a little calmer, she resolved to deliver Mouret's message. No doubt -the old man was irritated, but the excess even of his anger, the blind -alley, as it were, in which he found himself, might determine an abrupt -acceptance on his part. - -"I've just met some one," she commenced. "Yes, a person from The -Paradise, who is very well informed. It appears that they are going to -offer you eighty thousand francs to-morrow." - -"Eighty thousand francs!" he interrupted, in a terrible voice; "eighty -thousand francs! Not for a million now!" - -She tried to reason with him. But at that moment the shop door opened, -and she suddenly drew back, pale and silent. It was her uncle Baudu, -with his yellow face and aged look. Bourras caught his neighbour by the -buttonhole, and without allowing him to say a word, as if goaded on -by his presence, roared in his face: "What do you think they have the -cheek to offer me? Eighty thousand francs! They've got to that point, -the brigands! they think I'm going to sell myself like a prostitute. -Ah! they've bought the house, and think they've got me now! Well! it's -all over, they shan't have it! I might have given way, perhaps; but now -it belongs to them, let them try to take it!" - -"So the news is true?" said Baudu, in his slow voice. "I had heard of -it, and came over to know if it was so." - -"Eighty thousand francs!" repeated Bourras. "Why not a hundred thousand -at once? It's this immense sum of money that makes me so indignant. Do -they think they can make me commit a knavish trick with their money! -They shan't have it, by heavens! Never, never, you hear me?" - -Then Denise broke her silence to remark, in her calm, quiet way: -"They'll have it in nine years' time, when your lease expires." - -And, notwithstanding her uncle's presence, she begged the old man to -accept. The struggle was becoming impossible, he was fighting against a -superior force; it would be madness to refuse the fortune offered him. -But he still replied no. In nine years' time he hoped to be dead, so as -not to see it. - -"You hear, Monsieur Baudu," he resumed, "your niece is on their side, -it's she whom they have commissioned to corrupt me. She's with the -brigands, my word of honour!" - -Baudu, who had so far appeared not to notice Denise, now raised his -head, with the surly movement that he affected when standing at his -shop door, every time she passed. But, slowly, he turned round and -looked at her, and his thick lips trembled. - -"I know it," he replied in an undertone, and he continued looking at -her. - -Denise, affected almost to tears, thought him greatly changed by worry. -Perhaps too he was stricken with remorse at not having assisted her -during the time of misery through which she had lately passed. Then -the sight of Pépé sleeping on the chair, amidst the hubbub of the -discussion, seemed to suddenly inspire him with compassion. - -"Denise," said he simply, "come to-morrow and have dinner with us, and -bring the little one. My wife and Geneviève asked me to invite you if I -met you." - -She turned very red, went up to him and kissed him. And as he was going -away, Bourras, delighted at this reconciliation, again cried out to -him: "Just give her a lecture, she isn't a bad sort. As for me, the -house may fall, I shall be found in the ruins." - -"Our houses are already falling, neighbour," said Baudu with a gloomy -air. "We shall all of us be crushed under them." - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - -At this time the whole neighbourhood was talking of the great -thoroughfare which was to be opened between the Bourse and the -new Opera House, under the name of the Rue du Dix-Décembre.[1] -The expropriation judgments had been delivered, and two gangs of -demolishers were already beginning operations at either end, the first -pulling down the old mansions in the Rue Louis-le-Grand, and the -other destroying the thin walls of the old Vaudeville. You could hear -the picks getting closer, and the Rue de Choiseul and the Rue de la -Michodière waxing quite excited over their condemned houses. Before a -fortnight passed, the opening would leave in both these streets a great -gap full of sunlight and uproar. - -[1] This is at the present day the Rue du Quatre Septembre. Napoleon -III. gave as the name of the new thoroughfare the date of his -coronation (Dec. 10); and after Sedan the Republican government -ironically retorted by altering the name to the date of his downfall -(Sept. 4). - -But what stirred up the district still more, was the work undertaken -at The Ladies' Paradise. People talked of considerable enlargements, -of gigantic shops with frontages on the Rue de la Michodière, the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin, and the Rue Monsigny. Mouret, it was said, had -made arrangements with Baron Hartmann, the chairman of the Crédit -Immobilier, and would occupy the whole block, excepting the future -frontage in the Rue du Dix-Décembre, where the baron wished to erect a -rival establishment to the Grand Hôtel. The Paradise people were buying -up leases on all sides, shops were closing, and tenants moving; and -in the empty buildings an army of workmen was commencing the various -alterations amidst a cloud of plaster. And alone in all this disorder, -old Bourras's narrow hovel remained intact, still obstinately clinging -between the high walls covered with masons. - -When on the following day, Denise went with Pépé to her uncle Baudu's, -the street was blocked up by a line of carts discharging bricks outside -the Hôtel Duvillard. Baudu was standing at his shop door looking on -with a gloomy air. In proportion as The Ladies' Paradise became larger, -The Old Elbeuf seemed to grow smaller. The young girl thought that the -windows looked blacker than ever, lower and lower still beneath the -first storey, with its rounded prison-like windows. The damp, moreover, -had still further discoloured the old green sign-board; woefulness -appeared on the whole frontage, livid in hue, and, as it were, shrunken. - -"Here you are, then!" said Baudu. "Take care! they would run right over -you." - -Inside the shop, Denise experienced the same heart pang; she found it -darker, steeped more deeply than ever in the somnolence of approaching -ruin. Empty corners formed dark cavities, dust was covering the -counters and filling the drawers, whilst a cellar-like odour of -saltpetre rose from the bales of cloth that were no longer moved about. -At the desk Madame Baudu and Geneviève stood mute and motionless, as in -some solitary spot, where no one would come to disturb them. The mother -was hemming some dusters. The daughter, her hands resting on her knees, -was gazing at the emptiness before her. - -"Good evening, aunt," said Denise; "I'm delighted to see you again, and -if I have hurt your feelings, I hope you will forgive me." - -Madame Baudu kissed her, greatly affected. "My poor child," said she, -"if I had no other troubles, you would see me gayer than this." - -"Good evening, cousin," resumed Denise, kissing Geneviève on the cheeks. - -The latter woke with a sort of start, and returned her kisses but -without finding a word to say. Then the two women took up Pépé, who was -holding out his little arms, and the reconciliation was complete. - -"Well! it's six o'clock, let's go to dinner," said Baudu. "Why haven't -you brought Jean?" - -"Well, he was to have come," murmured Denise, in embarrassment. "I saw -him this morning, and he faithfully promised me. Oh! we must not wait -for him; his master has kept him, I dare say." In reality she suspected -some extraordinary adventure, and wished to apologize for him in -advance. - -"In that case, we will commence," said her uncle and turning towards -the dim depths of the shop, he added: - -"You may as well dine with us, Colomban. No one will come." - -Denise had not noticed the assistant. Her aunt explained to her that -they had been obliged to get rid of the other salesman and the young -lady. Business was getting so bad that Colomban sufficed; and even he -spent many idle hours, drowsy, falling asleep with his eyes open. - -The gas was burning in the dining-room, although they were now in the -long days of summer. Denise shivered slightly as she went in, chilled -by the dampness oozing from the walls. She once more beheld the round -table, the places laid on the American cloth, the window deriving its -air and light from the dark and fetid back-yard. And all these things -appeared to her to be gloomier than ever, and tearful like the shop. - -"Father," said Geneviève, uncomfortable for Denise's sake, "shall I -close the window? there's rather a bad smell." - -He himself smelt nothing, and seemed surprised. "Shut the window if you -like," he replied at last. "But we shan't get any air then." - -And indeed they were almost stifled. It was a very simple family -dinner. After the soup, as soon as the servant had served the boiled -beef, the old man as usual began talking about the people opposite. At -first he showed himself very tolerant, allowing his niece to have a -different opinion. - -"Dear me!" said he, "you are quite free to support those big tricky -shows. Each person has his ideas, my girl. If you were not disgusted -at being so disgracefully chucked out you must have strong reasons for -liking them; and even if you went back again, I should think none the -worse of you. No one here would be offended, would they?" - -"Oh, no!" murmured Madame Baudu. - -Thereupon Denise quietly gave her reasons for her preference, just as -she had at Robineau's: explaining the logical evolution in business, -the necessities of modern times, the greatness of these new creations, -in short, the growing well-being of the public. Baudu, his eyes -dilated, and his mouth clammy, listened with a visible mental strain. -Then, when she had finished, he shook his head. - -"That's all phantasmagoria, you know. Business is business, there's no -getting over that. Oh! I own that they succeed, but that's all. For a -long time I thought they would smash up; yes, I expected that, waiting -patiently--you remember? Well, no, it appears that nowadays thieves -make fortunes, whilst honest people die of hunger. That's what we've -come to. I'm obliged to bow to facts. And I do bow, on my word, I do -bow to them!" A deep anger was gradually rising within him. All at once -he flourished his fork. "But The Old Elbeuf will never give way! I said -as much to Bourras, you know, 'Neighbour,' said I 'you're going over to -the cheapjacks; your paint and your varnish are a disgrace to you.'" - -"Eat your dinner!" interrupted Madame Baudu, feeling anxious, on seeing -him so excited. - -"Wait a bit, I want my niece thoroughly to understand my motto. Just -listen, my girl: I'm like this decanter, I don't budge. They succeed, -so much the worse for them! As for me, I protest--that's all!" - -The servant brought in a piece of roast veal. He cut it up with -trembling hands; and no longer showed his accurate glance, his deft -skill in weighing the portions. The consciousness of his defeat -deprived him of the confidence he had formerly possessed as a respected -employer. Pépé had thought that his uncle was getting angry, and they -had to pacify him, by giving him some dessert, some biscuits which -were near his plate. Then Baudu, lowering his voice, tried to talk of -something else. For a moment he spoke of the demolitions going on, -approving of the Rue du Dix-Décembre, the piercing of which would -certainly increase the business of the neighbourhood. But then he -again returned to The Ladies' Paradise; everything brought him back to -it, as to a chronic complaint. They were being covered with plaster, -and business had quite ceased since the builders' carts had commenced -to block up the street. Moreover the place would soon be really -ridiculous, in its immensity; the customers would lose themselves in -it. Why not have the Central Markets at once? And, in spite of his -wife's supplicating looks, notwithstanding his own effort, he went on -from the works to the amount of business done in the big shop. Was it -not inconceivable? In less than four years they had increased their -figures five-fold: the annual receipts, formerly some eight million -francs, now attained the sum of forty millions, according to the last -balance-sheet. In fact it was a piece of folly, a thing that had -never been seen before, and against which it was perfectly useless -to struggle. They were always swelling and growing; they now had a -thousand employees and twenty-eight departments. Those twenty-eight -departments enraged him more than anything else. No doubt they had -duplicated a few, but others were quite new; for instance a furniture -department, and a department for fancy goods. The idea! Fancy goods! -Really those people had no pride whatever, they would even end by -selling fish. Then Baudu, though still affecting to respect Denise's -opinions, attempted to convert her. - -"Frankly, you can't defend them. What would you say if I were to add an -ironmongery department to my cloth business? You would say I was mad, -eh? Confess, at least, that you don't esteem them." - -And as the young girl simply smiled, feeling uncomfortable and -realizing how futile the best of reasons would be, he resumed: "In -short, you are on their side. We won't talk about it any more, for it's -useless to let that part us again. That would be the climax--to see -them come between me and my family! Go back with them, if you like; but -pray don't worry me with any more of their stories!" - -A silence ensued. His previous violence fell to this feverish -resignation. As they were suffocating in the narrow room, heated by -the gas-burner, the servant had to open the window again; and the -damp, pestilential air from the yard blew into the apartment. A dish -of _sauté_ potatoes had appeared, and they helped themselves slowly, -without a word. - -"Look at those two," began Baudu again, pointing with his knife to -Geneviève and Colomban. "Ask them if they like your Ladies' Paradise." - -Side by side in the places where they had found themselves twice a-day -for the last twelve years, Colomban and Geneviève were eating slowly, -without uttering a word. He, exaggerating the coarse good-nature of -his face, seemed to be concealing, behind his drooping eyelashes, the -inward flame which was consuming him; whilst she, her head bowed lower -beneath her heavy hair, appeared to be giving way entirely, as if a -prey to some secret grief. - -"Last year was very disastrous," explained Baudu, "and we have been -obliged to postpone the marriage. Just to please them, ask them what -they think of your friends." - -In order to pacify him, Denise interrogated the young people. - -"Naturally I can't be very fond of them, cousin," replied Geneviève. -"But never fear, every one doesn't detest them." - -And so speaking she looked at Colomban, who was rolling up some -bread-crumbs with an absorbed air. But when he felt that the young -girl's gaze was turned upon him, he broke out into a series of violent -exclamations: "A rotten shop! A lot of rogues, every man-jack of them! -In fact a regular pest in the neighbourhood!" - -"You hear him! You hear him!" exclaimed Baudu, delighted. "There's one -whom they'll never get hold of! Ah! my boy, you're the last of the old -stock, we shan't see any more!" - -But Geneviève, with her severe and suffering look, did not take her -eyes off Colomban, but dived into the depths of his heart. And he felt -troubled, and again launched out into invective. Madame Baudu was -watching them in silence with an anxious air, as if she foresaw another -misfortune in this direction. For some time past her daughter's sadness -had frightened her, she felt her to be dying. - -"The shop is left to take care of itself," she said at last, rising -from table, in order to put an end to the scene. "Go and see, Colomban; -I fancy I heard some one." - -They had finished, and got up. Baudu and Colomban went to speak to a -traveller, who had come for orders. Madame Baudu carried Pépé off to -show him some pictures. The servant had quickly cleared the table, and -Denise was lingering by the window, looking curiously into the little -back-yard, when on turning round she saw Geneviève still in her place, -her eyes fixed on the American cloth, which was still damp from the -sponge that had been passed over it. - -"Are you suffering, cousin?" she asked. - -The young girl did not reply but seemed to be obstinately studying -a rent in the cloth, though really absorbed in the reflections -passing through her mind. But after a while she raised her head with -difficulty, and looked at the sympathizing face bent over hers. The -others had gone, then? What was she doing on that chair? And suddenly -sobs stifled her, her head fell forward on the edge of the table. She -wept on, wetting her sleeve with her tears. - -"Good heavens! what's the matter with you?" cried Denise in dismay. -"Shall I call some one?" - -But Geneviève nervously caught her by the arm, and held her back, -stammering: "No, no, stay here. Don't let mamma know! With you I don't -mind; but not the others--not the others! It's not my fault, I assure -you. It was on finding myself all alone. Wait a bit; I'm better, I'm -not crying now." - -Nevertheless sudden attacks kept on seizing her, sending shudders -through her frail body. It seemed as though her pile of hair was -weighing down her neck. While she was rolling her head on her folded -arms, a hair-pin slipped out, and then her hair fell over her neck, -burying it beneath gloomy tresses. Denise, as quietly as possible for -fear of attracting attention, sought to console her. She undid her -dress, and was heart-rent on seeing how fearfully thin she had become. -The poor girl's bosom was as hollow as a child's. Then Denise took -hold of her hair by the handful, that superb hair, which seemed to be -absorbing all her life, and twisted it up tightly to clear her neck, -and make her cooler. - -"Thanks, you are very kind," said Geneviève. "Ah! I'm not stout, am I? -I used to be stouter, but it's all gone away. Do up my dress or mamma -might see my shoulders. I hide them as much as I can. Good heavens! I'm -not at all well, I'm not at all well." - -However, the attack passed away, and she sat there completely exhausted -and looking fixedly at her cousin. After a pause she abruptly inquired: -"Tell me the truth: does he love her?" - -Denise felt a blush rising to her cheeks. She was perfectly well aware -that Geneviève referred to Colomban and Clara; but she pretended to be -surprised. "Who, dear?" - -Geneviève shook her head with an incredulous air. "Don't tell -falsehoods, I beg of you. Do me the favour of setting my doubts at -rest. You must know, I feel it. Yes, you were that girl's comrade, and -I've seen Colomban run after you, and talk to you in a low voice. He -was giving you messages for her, wasn't he? Oh! for pity's sake, tell -me the truth; I assure you it will do me good." - -Never before had Denise been in such an awkward position. She lowered -her eyes before this girl, who was ever silent and yet guessed all. -However, she had the strength to deceive her still. "But it's you he -loves!" she said. - -Geneviève made a gesture of despair. "Very well, you won't tell me -anything. However, I don't care, I've seen them. He's continually going -outside to look at her. She, upstairs, laughs like a bad woman. Of -course they meet out of doors." - -"As for that, no, I assure you!" exclaimed Denise, forgetting herself -and carried away by the desire to give her cousin at least that -consolation. - -Geneviève drew a long breath, and smiled feebly. Then in the weak voice -of a convalescent she said, "I should like a glass of water. Excuse me -if I trouble you. Look, over there in the sideboard." - -When she got hold of the bottle, she drank a large glassful right off, -keeping Denise away with one hand. The young saleswoman was afraid that -she might do herself harm. - -"No, no," said she, "let me be; I'm always thirsty. In the night I get -up to drink." - -Silence again fell. Then Geneviève once more began in a gentle voice. -"If you only knew, I've been accustomed to the idea of this marriage -for the last ten years. I was still wearing short dresses, when -Colomban began courting me. I can hardly remember how things came -about. By always living together, shut up here together, without any -other distractions between us, I must have ended by believing him to -be my husband before he really was. I didn't know whether I loved him, -I was his wife, that was all. And now he wants to go off with another -girl! Oh, heavens! my heart is breaking! You see, it's a grief that I -never felt before. It hurts me in the bosom, and in the head; then it -spreads everywhere, it's killing me." - -Her eyes filled with tears. Denise, whose eyelids were also moistening -with pity, asked her: "Does my aunt suspect anything?" - -"Yes, mamma has her suspicions, I think. As for papa, he is too much -worried, and does not know the pain he is causing me by postponing the -marriage. Mamma has questioned me several times, greatly alarmed to see -me pining away. She has never been very strong herself, and has often -said to me: 'My poor child, you're like myself, by no means strong. -Besides, one doesn't grow much in these shops. But she must find me -getting really too thin now. Look at my arms; would you believe it?" - -Then with a trembling hand she again took up the water bottle. Her -cousin tried to prevent her from drinking. - -"But I'm so thirsty," said she, "let me drink." - -They could hear Baudu talking in a loud voice. Then suddenly yielding -to an inspiration of her heart, Denise knelt down before Geneviève and -throwing her sisterly arms round her neck, kissed her, and assured her -that everything would yet turn out all right, that she would marry -Colomban, would get well, and live happily. And then she got up quickly -for her uncle was calling her. - -"Jean is here. Come along." - -It was indeed Jean, who, looking rather scared, had just arrived for -dinner. When they told him it was striking eight, he seemed amazed. -Impossible! He had only just left his master's. They chaffed him. No -doubt he had come by way of the Bois de Vincennes. But as soon as he -could get near his sister, he whispered to her: "It's all the fault of -a little laundry-girl. I've got a cab outside by the hour. Give me five -francs." - -He went out for a minute, and then returned to dinner, for Madame Baudu -would not hear of his going away without taking, at least, a plate -of soup. Geneviève had returned to the shop in her usual silent and -retiring manner. Colomban was now half asleep behind the counter; and -the evening passed away, slow and melancholy, only animated by Baudu's -tramp, as he walked from one end of the empty shop to the other. A -single gas-burner was alight--the shadows of the low ceiling fell in -large masses, like black earth from a ditch. - -Several months passed away. Denise came in nearly every evening to -cheer up Geneviève a bit, but the Baudus' home became more melancholy -than ever. The works opposite were a continual torment, which made them -feel their bad luck more and more keenly. Even when they had an hour -of hope--some unexpected joy--the uproar of a tumbrel-load of bricks, -the sound of a stone-cutter's saw or the simple call of a mason would -at once suffice to mar their pleasure. In fact, the whole neighbourhood -was stirred by it all. From behind the hoarding edging and obstructing -the three streets, there issued a movement of feverish activity. -Although the architect was utilizing the existing buildings, he was -opening them in various ways to adapt them to their new uses; and right -in the centre of the vacant space supplied by the court-yards, he was -building a central gallery as vast as a church, which would be reached -by a grand entrance in the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin in the very middle -of the frontage. They had, at first, experienced great difficulty in -laying the foundations, for they had come upon sewer deposits and loose -earth, full of human bones; besides which the boring of the well--a -well three hundred feet deep--destined to yield two hundred gallons -a minute had made the neighbours very anxious. They had now got the -walls up to the first storey; and the entire block was surrounded by -scaffoldings, regular towers of timber. There was an incessant noise -from the grinding of the windlasses hoisting up the free-stone, the -abrupt unloading of iron bars, the clamour of the army of workmen, -accompanied by the noise of picks and hammers. But above all else, what -most deafened you was the sound of the machinery. Everything went by -steam, screeching whistles rent the air; and then too, at the slightest -gust of wind, clouds of plaster flew about and covered the neighbouring -roofs like a fall of snow. The despairing Baudus looked on at this -implacable dust penetrating everywhere--filtering through the closest -woodwork, soiling the goods in their shop, even gliding into their -beds; and the idea that they must continue to breathe it--that it would -end by killing them--empoisoned their existence. - -The situation, however, was destined to become worse still, for in -September, the architect, afraid of not being ready in time, decided -to carry on the work at night also. Powerful electric lamps were -established, and then the uproar became continuous. Gangs of men -relieved each other; the hammers never stopped, the engines whistled -night and day; and again the everlasting clamour seemed to raise and -scatter the white dust. The exasperated Baudus now had to give up the -idea of sleeping even; they were shaken in their alcove; the noises -changed into nightmare whenever they managed to doze off. Then, if they -got up to calm their fever, and went, with bare feet, to pull back -the curtains and look out of the window, they were frightened by the -vision of The Ladies' Paradise flaring in the darkness like a colossal -forge, where their ruin was being forged. Along the half-built walls, -pierced with empty bays, the electric lamps threw broad bluey rays, -of blinding intensity. Two o'clock struck--then three, then four; and -during the painful sleep of the neighbourhood, the works, expanding in -the lunar-like brightness, became colossal and fantastic, swarming with -black shadows, noisy workmen, whose silhouettes gesticulated against -the crude whiteness of the new walls. - -Baudu had spoken correctly. The small traders of the adjacent streets -were receiving another mortal blow. Every time The Ladies' Paradise -created new departments there were fresh failures among the shopkeepers -of the district. The disaster spread, one could hear the oldest houses -cracking. Mademoiselle Tatin, of the under-linen shop in the Passage -Choiseul, had just been declared bankrupt; Quinette, the glover, -could hardly hold out another six months; the furriers, Vanpouille, -were obliged to sub-let a part of their premises; and if the Bédorés, -brother and sister, still kept on as hosiers, in the Rue Gaillon, -they were evidently living on the money they had formerly saved. And -now more smashes were on the point of being added to those long since -foreseen; the fancy goods department threatened a dealer in the Rue -Saint-Roch, Deslignières, a big, full-blooded man; whilst the furniture -department was injuring Messrs. Piot and Rivoire, whose shops slumbered -in the gloom of the Passage Sainte-Anne. It was even feared that an -attack of apoplexy would carry off Deslignières, who had been in a -terrible rage ever since The Ladies' Paradise had marked up purses -at thirty per cent. reduction. The furniture dealers, who were much -calmer, affected to joke at these counter-jumpers who wanted to meddle -with such articles as chairs and tables; but customers were already -leaving them, and the success of Mouret's department threatened to be -a formidable one. It was all over, they must bow their heads. After -these, others would be swept off in their turn and there was no reason -why every business should not be driven away. Some day The Ladies' -Paradise alone would cover the neighbourhood with its roof. - -At present, when the thousand employees went in and came out morning -and evening, they formed such a long procession on the Place Gaillon -that people stopped to look at them as they might at a passing -regiment. For ten minutes they blocked up all the streets; and the -shopkeepers standing at their doors thought bitterly of their one -assistant, whom they hardly knew how to find food for. The last -balance-sheet of the big bazaar, the turn-over of forty millions, had -also revolutionized the neighbourhood. The figure passed from house -to house amid cries of surprise and anger. Forty millions! Think of -that! No doubt the net profit did not exceed more than four per cent., -given the heavy general expenses, and the system of low prices; but -sixteen hundred thousand francs was still a handsome sum; one could -well be satisfied with four per cent., when one operated on such a -scale as that. It was said that Mouret's starting capital of five -hundred thousand francs, each year increased by the total profits of -the house--a capital which must at that moment have amounted to four -millions--had in one twelvemonth passed ten times over the counters -in the form of goods. Robineau, when he made this calculation in -Denise's presence one evening, after dinner, was quite overcome for -a moment, and remained staring at his empty plate. She was right, it -was this incessant renewal of capital that constituted the invincible -power of the new system of business. Bourras alone denied the facts, -refusing to understand, superb and stupid as a milestone. To him the -Paradise people were a pack of thieves and nothing more! A lying set! -Cheap-jacks who would be picked out of the gutter some fine morning! - -The Baudus, however, despite their determination not to change anything -in the system of The Old Elbeuf, tried to sustain the competition. -Customers no longer coming to them, they sought to reach the customers -through the agency of travellers. There was at that time, in the -Paris market, a traveller connected with all the leading tailors, -who saved the little cloth and flannel houses when he condescended -to represent them. Naturally they all tried to get hold of him; he -was quite a personage; and Baudu, having haggled with him, had the -misfortune to see him come to terms with the Matignons, of the Rue -Croix-des-Petits-Champs. Then one after the other, two other travellers -robbed him; a third, an honest man, did no business. It was a slow -death, exempt from shocks, a continual decrease of business, customers -falling away one by one. A day came when the bills to be met fell -on the Baudus very heavily. Until that time they had lived on their -former savings; but now they began to contract debts. In December, -Baudu, terrified by the amount of his acceptances, resigned himself -to a most cruel sacrifice: he sold his country-house at Rambouillet, -a house which cost him a lot of money in continual repairs, and whose -tenants had not even paid the rent when he decided to get rid of it. -This sale killed the sole dream of his life, his heart bled as for the -loss of some dear one. And for seventy thousand francs he had to part -with what had cost him more than two hundred thousand, considering -himself fortunate even in meeting the Lhommes, his neighbours, who were -desirous of adding to their property. Those seventy thousand francs -would keep the business going a little longer; for in spite of all the -repulses the idea of struggling on ever sprang up again; perhaps with -great care they might conquer even now. - -On the Sunday on which the Lhommes paid the money, they condescended -to dine at The Old Elbeuf. Madame Aurélie was the first to arrive; -they had to wait for the cashier, who came late, scared by a whole -afternoon's music: as for young Albert, he had accepted the invitation, -but did not put in an appearance. It was, moreover, a painful evening. -The Baudus, living without air in their tiny dining-room, suffered -from the breeze which the Lhommes, with their lack of family ties and -their taste for a free life, brought in with them. Geneviève, wounded -by Madame Aurélie's imperial airs, did not open her mouth; but Colomban -admired her with a shiver, on reflecting that she reigned over Clara. -Later on, when Madame Baudu was already in bed, her husband remained -for a long time walking about the room. It was a mild night--damp, -thawing weather--and in spite of the closed windows, and drawn -curtains, one could hear the engines snorting on the opposite side of -the way. - -"Do you know what I'm thinking of, Elisabeth?" said Baudu at last. -"Well! those Lhommes may earn as much money as they like, I'd rather be -in my shoes than theirs. They get on well, it's true. The wife said, -didn't she? that she had made nearly twenty thousand francs this year, -and that had enabled her to take my poor house. Never mind! I've no -longer got the house, but I don't go playing music in one direction, -whilst you are gadding about in the other. No, look you, they can't be -happy." - -He was still keenly fretting over the sacrifice he had been compelled -to make, full of rancour against those people who had bought up his -darling dream. When ever he came near the bed, he leant over his wife -and gesticulated, then, returning to the window, he stood silent for -a minute, listening to the noise of the works. And again he vented -his old accusations, his despairing complaints about the new times; -nobody had ever seen such things, shop-assistants now earned more than -tradesmen, cashiers bought up employers' property. So no wonder that -everything was going to the dogs; family ties no longer existed, people -lived at hotels instead of eating their meals at home in a respectable -manner. At last he ended by prophesying that young Albert would swallow -up the Rambouillet property later on with a lot of actresses. - -Madame Baudu listened to him, her head flat on the pillow, and so pale -that her face seemed the colour of the sheets. "They've paid you," she -at length said softly. - -At this Baudu became dumb. He walked about for an instant with his -eyes on the ground. Then he resumed: "They've paid me, 'tis true; and, -after all, their money is as good as another's. It would be funny if we -revived the business with this money. Ah! if I were not so old and worn -out!" - -A long silence ensued. The draper was full of vague projects. Suddenly, -without moving her head, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, his wife spoke -again: "Have you noticed your daughter lately?" - -"No," he replied. - -"Well! she makes me rather anxious. She's getting pale, she seems to be -pining away." - -He stood before the bed, full of surprise. "Really! whatever for? If -she's ill she should say so. To-morrow we must send for the doctor." - -Madame Baudu still remained motionless; but after a time, she declared, -with her meditative air: "I think it would be better to get this -marriage with Colomban over." - -He looked at her and then began walking about again. Certain things -came back to his mind. Was it possible that his daughter was falling -ill over the shopman? Did she love him so much that she could not wait? -Here was another misfortune! It worried him all the more from the -circumstance that he himself had fixed ideas about this marriage. He -could never consent to it in the present state of affairs. However, his -anxiety softened him. - -"Very good," said he at last, "I'll speak to Colomban." - -And without adding another word he continued his walk. Soon afterwards -his wife fell asleep still looking quite white, as if dead; while he -still kept on tramping about. Before getting into bed he drew aside -the curtains and glanced outside; across the street through the gaping -windows of the old Hôtel Duvillard the workmen could be seen stirring -in the dazzling glare of the electric light. - -On the following morning Baudu took Colomban to the further end of the -store-room on the upper floor, having made up his mind over night as to -what he would say to him. "My boy," he began, "you know I've sold my -property at Rambouillet. That will enable us to show some fight. But I -should first of all like to have a talk with you." - -The young man, who seemed to dread the interview, waited with an -awkward air. His small eyes twinkled in his broad face, and he stood -there with his mouth open--with him a sign of profound agitation. - -"Just listen to me," resumed the draper. "When old Hauchecorne left me -The Old Elbeuf, the house was prosperous; he himself had received it -from old Finet in a satisfactory state. You know my ideas; I should -consider it wrong if I passed this family trust over to my children in -a diminished state; and that's why I've always postponed your marriage -with Geneviève. Yes, I was obstinate; I hoped to bring back our former -prosperity; I wanted to hand you the books, saying: 'Look here! the -year I commenced we sold so much cloth, and this year, the year I -retire, we have sold ten thousand or twenty thousand francs' worth -more.' In short, you understand, it was a vow I made to myself, the -very natural desire I had to prove that the house had not declined in -my hands. Otherwise it would seem to me that I was robbing you." His -voice became husky with emotion. He blew his nose to recover himself a -bit, and then asked, "You don't say anything?" - -But Colomban had nothing to say. He shook his head, and waited, feeling -more and more perturbed, and fancying that he could guess what the -governor was aiming at. It was the marriage without further delay. How -could he refuse? He would never have the strength to do so. And yet -there was that other girl, of whom he dreamed at night, devoured by -insensate passion. - -"Now," continued Baudu, "a sum of money has come in that may save us. -The situation becomes worse every day, but perhaps by making a supreme -effort.--In short, I thought it right to warn you. We are going to -venture our last stake. If we are beaten, why that will entirely ruin -us! Only, my poor boy, your marriage must again be postponed, for I -don't wish to throw you two all alone into the struggle. That would be -too cowardly, wouldn't it?" - -Colomban, greatly relieved, had seated himself on a pile of molleton. -His legs were still trembling. He was afraid of showing his delight, so -he held down his head whilst rolling his fingers on his knees. - -"You don't say anything?" repeated Baudu. - -No, he said nothing, he could find nothing to say. Thereupon the draper -slowly resumed: "I was sure this would grieve you. You must muster up -courage. Pull yourself together a bit, don't let yourself be crushed in -this way. Above all, understand my position. Can I hang such a weight -about your neck? Instead of leaving you a good business, I should leave -you a bankruptcy perhaps. No, only scoundrels play such tricks as that! -No doubt, I desire nothing but your happiness, but nobody shall ever -make me go against my conscience." - -And he went on for a long time in this way, meandering through a -maze of contradictory sentences, like a man who would have liked to -be understood at the first word but finds himself obliged to explain -everything. As he had promised his daughter and the shop, strict -probity forced him to deliver both in good condition, without defects -or debts. But he was weary, the burden seemed to be too much for him, -and entreaty almost pierced though his stammering accents. At last -he got more entangled than ever, awaiting some sudden impulse from -Colomban, some heartfelt cry, which did not come. - -"I know," he murmured, "that old men are wanting in ardour. With young -ones, things light up. They are full of fire, it's only natural. But, -no, no, I can't, my word of honour! If I gave it up to you, you would -blame me later on." - -He stopped, trembling, and as the young man still kept his head down, -he asked him for the third time, after a painful silence: "You don't -say anything?" Then, at last, without venturing to look at him, -Colomban replied: "There's nothing to say. You are the master, you know -better than all of us. As you wish it we'll wait, we'll try and be -reasonable." - -It was all over. Baudu still hoped he was going to throw himself into -his arms, exclaiming: "Father, do you take a rest, we'll fight in -our turn; give us the shop as it is, so that we may work a miracle -and save it!" Then, however, he looked at him, and felt full of -shame, reproaching himself for having wished to dupe his children. -His deep-rooted maniacal commercial honesty was awakened in him; it -was this prudent fellow who was right, for there is no such thing as -sentiment in business, which is only a question of figures. - -"Embrace me, my boy," he said in conclusion. "It's settled; we won't -speak about the marriage for another year. One must think of the -business before everything." - -That evening, in their room, when Madame Baudu questioned her husband -as to the result of the conversation, the draper had regained his -obstinate resolve to fight on in person to the bitter end. He gave -Colomban high praise, calling him a solid fellow, firm in his ideas, -brought up in the best principles, incapable, for instance, of joking -with the customers like those puppies at The Paradise. No, he was -honest, he belonged to the family, he didn't speculate on the business -as though he were a stock-jobber. - -"Well, then, when's the marriage to take place?" asked Madame Baudu. - -"Later on," he replied, "when I am able to keep my promises." - -She made no gestures but simply remarked: "It will be our daughter's -death." - -Baudu restrained himself though hot with anger. He was the one whom it -would kill, if they continually upset him like this! Was it his fault? -He loved his daughter--would lay down his life for her; but he could -not make the business prosper when it obstinately refused to do so. -Geneviève ought to have a little more sense, and wait patiently for a -better balance. The deuce! Colomban would always be there, no one would -run away with him! - -"It's incredible!" he repeated; "such a well-trained girl!" - -Madame Baudu said no more. She had doubtless guessed Geneviève's -jealous agony; but she did not dare to inform her husband of it. A -singular womanly modesty always prevented her from approaching certain -tender, delicate subjects with him. When he saw her so silent, he -turned his anger against the people opposite, stretching out his fists -towards the works, where they were that night setting up some large -iron girders, with a great noise of hammers. - -Denise had now decided to return to The Ladies' Paradise, having -understood that the Robineaus, obliged to cut down their staff, were -at a loss how to dismiss her. To maintain their position they were now -obliged to do everything themselves. Gaujean, still obstinate in his -rancour, renewed their bills and even promised to find them funds; -but they were frightened, they wanted to try the effect of economy -and order. During a whole fortnight Denise had felt that they were -embarrassed about her, and it was she who spoke the first, saying that -she had found a situation elsewhere. This came as a great relief. -Madame Robineau embraced her, deeply affected, and declaring that she -should always miss her. Then when, in answer to a question, the young -girl acknowledged that she was going back to Mouret's, Robineau turned -pale. - -"You are right!" he exclaimed violently. - -It was not so easy to tell the news to old Bourras however. Still, -Denise had to give him notice, and she trembled at the thought, for -she felt full of gratitude towards him. Bourras was at this time in -a rage from morn till night, for he more than any other suffered -from the uproar of the adjacent works. The builder's carts blocked -up his doorway; the picks tapped on his walls; umbrellas and sticks, -everything in his place, danced about to the noise of the hammers. It -seemed as if the hovel, obstinately remaining in the midst of these -demolitions, would suddenly split to pieces. But the worst was that the -architect, in order to connect the existing shops with those about to -be opened in the Hôtel Duvillard, had conceived the idea of tunnelling -a passage under the little house that separated them. This house now -belonged to the firm of Mouret & Co., and as the lease stipulated -that the tenant should submit to all necessary repairs, the workmen -one morning appeared on the scene. At this Bourras nearly went into a -fit. Wasn't it enough that they should grip him on all sides, on the -right, the left, and behind, without attacking him underfoot as well, -taking the very ground from under him! And he drove the masons away, -and went to law. Repairs, yes! but this was a work of embellishment. -The neighbourhood thought he would win the day, without, however, being -sure of anything. The case, at any rate, threatened to be a long one, -and people became quite impassioned over this interminable duel. - -On the day when Denise at last resolved to give him notice, Bourras had -just returned from his lawyer's. "Would you believe it!" he exclaimed, -"they now say that the house is not solid; they pretend that the -foundations must be strengthened. Confound it! they have shaken it up -so much with their infernal machines, that it isn't astonishing if it -gives way!" - -Then, when the girl announced she was going to leave, and was returning -to The Ladies' Paradise at a salary of a thousand francs, he became so -amazed that he could only raise his trembling hands in the air. Emotion -made him drop upon a chair. - -"You! you!" he stammered. "Ah, I'm the only one--I'm the only one -left!" And after a pause, he asked: "And the youngster?" - -"He'll go back to Madame Gras's," replied Denise. "She was very fond of -him." - -They again became silent. She would have rather seen him furious, -swearing and banging the counter with his fist; the sight of this old -man, suffocating and crushed, made her heart bleed. But he gradually -recovered, and began shouting out once more. "A thousand francs! that -isn't to be refused. You'll all go. Go, then, leave me here alone. Yes, -alone--you understand! One at all events will never bow his head. And -tell them I'll win my lawsuit, if I have to sell my last shirt for it!" - -Denise was not to leave Robineau's till the end of the month. She had -seen Mouret again and everything had been settled. One evening as -she was going up to her room, Deloche, who was watching for her in a -doorway, stopped her. He was delighted, having just heard the good -news; they were all talking about it in the shop, said he. And he gaily -told her of all the gossip at the counters. - -"The young ladies in the mantle department are pulling fearfully long -faces, you know." And then breaking off, he added: "By the way, you -remember Clara Prunaire? Well, it appears the governor has taken a -fancy to her." - -He had turned quite red. She, very pale, exclaimed: - -"What! Monsieur Mouret!" - -"Funny taste--eh?" he resumed. "A woman who looks like a horse. -However, that's his business." - -Once upstairs, Denise almost fainted away. It was surely through coming -up too quickly. Leaning out of the window she had a sudden vision of -Valognes, the deserted street and grassy pavement, which she had seen -from her room as a child; and she was seized with a desire to go and -live there once more--to seek refuge in the peace and forgetfulness of -the country. Paris irritated her, she hated The Ladies' Paradise, she -no longer knew why she had consented to go back. She would certainly -suffer there as much as formerly; she was already suffering from an -unknown uneasiness since Deloche's stories. And then all at once a -flood of tears forced her to leave the window. She continued weeping on -for some time, but at last found a little courage to live on still. - -The next day at lunch time, as Robineau had sent her on an errand, and -she was passing The Old Elbeuf, she opened the door on seeing Colomban -alone in the shop. The Baudus were having their meal; she could hear -the clatter of the knives and forks in the little dining-room. - -"You can come in," said the shopman. "They are at table." - -But she motioned him to be silent, and drew him into a corner. Then, -lowering her voice, she said: "It's you I want to speak to. Have you no -heart? Can't you see that Geneviève loves you, and that it's killing -her." - -She was trembling, her fever of the previous night had taken possession -of her again. He, frightened and surprised by this sudden attack, stood -looking at her, without a word. - -"Do you hear?" she continued. "Geneviève knows you love another. She -told me so. She wept like a child. Ah, poor girl! she isn't very -strong now, I can tell you! If you had seen her thin arms! It's -heart-breaking. You can't leave her to die like this!" - -At last he spoke, quite overcome. "But she isn't ill--you exaggerate! I -don't see anything myself. Besides, it's her father who is postponing -the marriage." - -Denise sharply corrected this falsehood, certain as she was that -the least insistence on the young man's part would have decided her -uncle. As for Colomban's surprise, however, it was not feigned; he had -really never noticed Geneviève's slow agony. For him it was a very -disagreeable revelation; for while he remained ignorant of it, he had -no great blame to tax himself with. - -"And who for indeed?" resumed Denise. "For an utterly worthless girl! -You can't know whom you are loving! So far I have not wished to hurt -your feelings, I have often avoided answering your continual questions. -Well! she goes about with everybody, she laughs at you, and will never -marry you." - -He listened to her, turning very pale; and at each of the sentences she -threw in his face, his lips quivered. She, in a cruel fit, yielded to a -transport of anger of which she had no consciousness. "In short," she -said, in a final cry, "she's Monsieur Mouret's mistress if you want to -know!" - -As she spoke her voice died away in her throat and she turned even -paler than Colomban himself. Both stood looking at each other. Then he -stammered out: "I love her!" - -Denise felt ashamed of herself. Why was she talking in this fashion -to this young fellow? Why was she getting so excited? She stood there -mute, the simple reply which he had just given her resounded in her -heart like the distant but deafening clang of a bell. "I love her, I -love her!" and it seemed to spread. He was right, he could not marry -another woman. - -And as she turned round, she observed Geneviève on the threshold of the -dining-room. "Be quiet!" she said rapidly. - -But it was too late, Geneviève must have heard, for her face was white -and bloodless. Just at that moment a customer opened the door--Madame -Bourdelais, one of the last faithful customers of The Old Elbeuf, -where she found substantial goods for her money. For a long time past -Madame de Boves had followed the fashion, and gone over to The Ladies' -Paradise; Madame Marty also no longer came, being entirely subjugated -by the fascinations of the display opposite. And Geneviève was forced -to come forward, and inquire in her weak voice: - -"What do you desire, madame?" - -Madame Bourdelais wished to see some flannel. Colomban took down a roll -from a shelf. Geneviève showed the stuff; and once again the young -people found themselves close together behind the counter. Meanwhile -Baudu came out of the dining-room, behind his wife, who went to seat -herself at the pay-desk. At first he did not meddle with the sale, but -after smiling at Denise stood there, looking at Madame Bourdelais. - -"It is not good enough," said the latter. "Show me the thickest you -have." - -Colomban took down another bundle. There was a silence. Madame -Bourdelais examined the stuff. - -"How much?" she asked. - -"Six francs, madame," replied Geneviève. - -The lady made an abrupt gesture. "Six francs!" said she. "But they have -the same opposite at five francs." - -A slight contraction passed over Baudu's face. He could not help -interfering politely. No doubt madame made a mistake, indeed the stuff -ought to have been sold at six francs and a half; it was impossible -to sell it at five francs. It must be another quality that she was -referring to. - -"No, no," she repeated, with the obstinacy of a house-wife who prided -herself on her knowledge of such matters. "The quality is the same. The -other may even be a little thicker." - -And the discussion ended by becoming quite bitter. Baudu with his bile -rising to his face had to make an effort to continue smiling. His -rancour against The Ladies' Paradise was bursting in his throat. - -"Really," said Madame Bourdelais at last, "you must treat me better for -otherwise I shall go opposite, like the others." - -Thereupon he lost his head, and, shaking with all the passion he had -restrained, cried out: "Well! go opposite then!" - -At this she got up, greatly wounded, and went off without turning -round, but saying: "That's just what I am going to do, sir." - -A general stupor ensued. The governor's violence had frightened all of -them. He was himself scared, and trembled at what he had just said. The -phrase had escaped him against his will in an explosion of long pent-up -rancour. And the Baudus now stood there motionless, their arms hanging -by their sides as they watched Madame Bourdelais cross the street. She -seemed to be carrying off their fortune. When with a tranquil step she -passed through the lofty portal of The Ladies' Paradise and they saw -her disappear in the crowd, they felt a sort of sudden wrench. - -"There's another they've taken from us!" murmured the draper. And -turning towards Denise, of whose re-engagement he was aware, he said: -"You as well, they've taken you back. Oh, I don't blame you for it. As -they've got the money, they are naturally the strongest." - -Just then, Denise, still hoping that Geneviève had not overheard -Colomban, was saying to her: "He loves you. Try and cheer up." - -But in a very low and heart-broken voice the girl replied: "Why do -you tell me a falsehood? Look! he can't help it, he's glancing up -there again. I know very well that they've stolen him from me, just as -they've robbed us of everything else." - -Then she went to sit down at the desk beside her mother. The latter -had doubtless guessed the fresh blow which her daughter had received, -for her anxious eyes wandered from her to Colomban, and then to The -Paradise. It was true, they had stolen everything from them: from -the father, his fortune; from the mother, her dying child; from the -daughter, the husband, for whom she had waited ten long years. In -presence of this condemned family, Denise, whose heart was overflowing -with pity, felt for an instant afraid that she might be wicked. For -was she not going to assist that machine which was crushing the poor? -However, she was carried away, as it were, by an invisible force, and -felt that she could be doing no wrong. - -"Bah!" resumed Baudu, to give himself courage; "we shan't die of -it, after all. For one customer lost we shall find two others. You -hear, Denise, I've got over seventy thousand francs there, which will -certainly make your Mouret spend some sleepless nights. Come, come, you -others, don't look so glum!" - -But he could not enliven them. He himself relapsed into a pale -consternation; and they all remained with their eyes fixed on the -monster, attracted, possessed, glutting themselves with thoughts of -their misfortune. The work was now nearly finished, the scaffoldings -had been removed from the front, a whole side of the colossal edifice -appeared, with its white walls and large light windows. Beside the -footway, where traffic had at last been resumed, stood eight delivery -vans which the messengers were loading one after the other outside the -parcels-office. In the sunshine, a ray of which enfiladed the street, -the vehicles' green panels, picked out with red and yellow, sparkled -like so many mirrors, and cast blinding reflections even into the -depths of The Old Elbeuf. The drivers, clad in black and dignified in -manner, held the horses well in--superb horses they were, champing -silvered bits. And each time a van was loaded, there came a sonorous -roll over the paving stones which made all the little neighbouring -shops tremble. And then in presence of this triumphal procession, -the sight of which they must needs endure twice a day, the Baudus' -hearts broke. The father half fainted away, asking himself where this -continual stream of goods could go to; whilst the mother, sickening at -thought of her daughter's torture, continued gazing blankly into the -street, her eyes blurred by big tears. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - -It was on a Monday, the 14th of March, that The Ladies' Paradise -inaugurated its new buildings by a great exhibition of summer -novelties, which was to last three days. Outside, a sharp north wind -was blowing and the passers-by, surprised by this return of winter, -hurried along buttoning up their overcoats. In the neighbouring -shops, however, all was fermentation; and against the windows one -could see the pale faces of the petty tradesmen, counting the first -carriages which stopped before the new grand entrance in the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin. This doorway, lofty and deep like a church porch, -and surmounted by an emblematical group of Industry and Commerce -hand-in-hand amidst a variety of symbols--was sheltered by a vast -glazed _marquise_, the fresh gilding of which seemed to light up the -pavement with a ray of sunshine. To the right and left the shop fronts, -of a blinding whiteness, stretched along the Rue Monsigny and the -Rue de la Michodière, occupying the whole block, except on the Rue -du Dix-Décembre side, where the Crédit Immobilier intended to build. -And along these barrack-like frontages, the petty tradesmen, whenever -they raised their heads, could see the piles of goods through the -large plate-glass windows which, from the ground floor to the second -storey, opened the house to the light of day. And this enormous cube, -this colossal bazaar which concealed the sky from them, seemed in some -degree the cause of the cold which made them shiver behind their frozen -counters. - -As early as six o'clock, Mouret was on the spot, giving his final -orders. In the centre, starting from the grand entrance, a large -gallery ran from end to end, flanked right and left by two narrower -ones, the Monsigny Gallery and the Michodière Gallery. Glass roofings -covered the court-yards turned into huge halls, iron staircases -ascended from the ground floor, on both upper floors iron bridges were -thrown from one end to the other of the establishment. The architect, -who happened to be a young man of talent, with modern ideas, had only -used stone for the basement and corner work, employing iron for all the -rest of the huge carcass--columns upholding all the assemblage of beams -and joists. The vaulting of the ceilings, like the partitions, was of -brick. Space had been gained everywhere; light and air entered freely, -and the public circulated with the greatest ease under the bold flights -of the far-stretching girders. It was the cathedral of modern commerce, -light but strong, the very thing for a nation of customers. Below, in -the central gallery, after the door bargains, came the cravat, glove, -and silk departments; the Monsigny Gallery was occupied by the linen -and Rouen goods; and the Michodière Gallery by the mercery, hosiery, -drapery, and woollens. Then, on the first floor came the mantle, -under-linen, shawl, lace, and various new departments, whilst the -bedding, the carpets, the furnishing materials, all the cumbersome -articles difficult to handle, had been relegated to the second floor. -In all there were now thirty-nine departments with eighteen hundred -employees, two hundred of whom were women. Quite a little world abode -there, amidst the sonorous life of the high metallic naves. - -Mouret's unique passion was to conquer woman. He wished her to be -queen in his house, and had built this temple that he might there -hold her completely at his mercy. His sole aim was to intoxicate her -with gallant attentions, traffic on her desires, profit by her fever. -Night and day he racked his brain to invent fresh attractions. He -had already introduced two velvet-padded lifts, in order to spare -delicate ladies the trouble of climbing the stairs to the upper floors. -Then, too, he had just opened a bar where the customers could find -gratuitous light refreshments, syrups and biscuits, and a reading-room, -a monumental gallery decorated with excessive luxury, in which he had -even ventured on an exhibition of pictures. But his deepest scheme -was to conquer the mother through her child, when unable to do so -through her own coquetry; and to attain this object there was no -means that he neglected. He speculated on every sentiment, created -special departments for little boys and girls, and waylaid the passing -mothers with distributions of chromo-lithographs and air-balls for the -children. There was real genius in his idea of presenting each buyer -with a red air-ball made of fine gutta-percha and bearing in large -letters the name of the establishment. Held by a string it floated in -the air and sailed along every street like a living advertisement. - -But the greatest power of all was the advertising. Mouret now spent -three hundred thousand francs a year in catalogues, advertisements, -and bills.[1] For his summer sale he had launched forth two hundred -thousand catalogues, fifty thousand of which went abroad, translated -into every language. He now had them illustrated with engravings, -and embellished with samples, gummed to the leaves. There was an -overflowing display; the name of The Ladies' Paradise met the eye all -over the world, it invaded the walls and hoardings, the newspapers, -and even the curtains of the theatres. He claimed that woman was -powerless against advertising, that she was bound to be attracted by -uproar. Analyzing her moreover like a great moralist he laid still -more enticing traps for her. Thus he had discovered that she could -not resist a bargain, that she bought without necessity whenever she -thought she saw a thing cheap, and on this observation he based his -system of reductions, progressively lowering the price of unsold -articles, and preferring to sell them at a loss rather than keep them -by him, given his principle of constantly renewing his goods. And he -had penetrated still further into the heart of woman, and had just -planned the system of "returns", a masterpiece of Jesuitical seduction. -"Take whatever you like, madame; you can return it if you find you -don't like it." And the woman who hesitated, herein found a last -excuse, the possibility of repairing an act of folly were it deemed -too extravagant: she took the article with an easy conscience. And now -the returns and reduction of prices system formed part of the everyday -working of the new style of business. - -[1] After all, this is only £12,000 or about a quarter of the amount -which a single English firm of soap-manufacturers spends in advertising -every year. - -But where Mouret revealed himself as an unrivalled master was in the -interior arrangement of his shops. He laid it down as a law that not a -corner of The Ladies' Paradise ought to remain deserted; he required -a noise, a crowd, evidence of life everywhere; for life, said he, -attracts life, increases and multiplies it. And this principle he -applied in a variety of ways. In the first place, there ought always -to be a crush at the entrance, so that the people in the street should -mistake it for a riot; and he obtained this crush by placing a lot of -bargains at the doors, shelves and baskets overflowing with low-priced -articles; and so the common people crowded there, stopping up the -doorway and making the shop look as if it were crammed with customers, -when it was often only half full. Then, in the galleries, he found a -means of concealing the departments where business occasionally became -slack; for instance, he surrounded the shawl department in summer, and -the printed calico department in winter, with other busy departments, -steeping them in continual uproar. It was he alone who had thought of -reserving the second-floor for the carpet and furniture galleries; for -customers were less numerous in such departments which if placed on the -ground floor would have often presented a chilly void. If he could only -have managed it, he would have let the street run through his shop. - -Just at that moment, Mouret was absorbed in another wonderful -inspiration. On the Saturday evening, whilst giving a last look at -the preparations for the Monday's great sale, he had been struck with -the idea that the arrangement of the departments adopted by him was -idiotic; and yet it seemed a perfectly logical one: the stuffs on one -side, the made-up articles on the other, an intelligent order of things -which would enable customers to find their way about by themselves. He -had dreamt of some such orderly arrangement in the old days of Madame -Hédouin's narrow shop; but now, just as he had carried out his idea, he -felt his faith shaken. And he suddenly cried out that they would "have -to alter all that." They had forty-eight hours before them, and half of -what had been done had to be changed. The staff, utterly bewildered, -had been obliged to work two nights and all day on Sunday, amidst -frightful disorder. On the Monday morning even, an hour before the -opening, there were still some goods remaining to be placed. Decidedly -the governor was going mad, no one understood the meaning of it all, -and general consternation prevailed. - -"Come, look sharp!" cried Mouret, with the quiet assurance of genius. -"There are some more costumes to be taken upstairs. And the Japan -goods, are they placed on the central landing? A last effort, my boys, -you'll see the sale by-and-by." - -Bourdoncle had also been there since daybreak. He did not understand -the alterations any more than the others did and followed the -governor's movements with an anxious eye. He hardly dared to ask him -any questions, knowing how Mouret received people in these critical -moments. However, he at last made up his mind, and gently inquired: -"Was it really necessary to upset everything like that, on the eve of -our sale?" - -At first Mouret shrugged his shoulders without replying. Then as the -other persisted, he burst out: "So that all the customers should heap -themselves into one corner--eh? A nice idea of mine! I should never -have got over it! Don't you see that it would have localised the crowd. -A woman would have come in, gone straight to the department she wanted, -passed from the petticoat to the dress counter, from the dress to the -mantle gallery, and then have retired, without even losing herself for -a moment! Not one would have thoroughly seen the establishment!" - -"But, now that you have disarranged everything, and thrown the goods -all over the place," remarked Bourdoncle, "the employees will wear out -their legs in guiding the customers from department to department." - -Mouret made a gesture of superb contempt. "I don't care a fig for -that! They're young, it'll make them grow! So much the better if they -do walk about! They'll appear more numerous, and increase the crowd. -The greater the crush the better; all will go well!" He laughed, and -then deigned to explain his idea, lowering his voice: "Look here, -Bourdoncle, this is what the result will be. First, this continual -circulation of customers will disperse them all over the shop, -multiply them, and make them lose their heads; secondly, as they must -be conducted from one end of the establishment to the other, if, -for instance, they require a lining after purchasing a dress, these -journeys in every direction will triple the size of the house in their -eyes; thirdly, they will be forced to traverse departments where -they would never have set foot otherwise, temptations will present -themselves on their passage, and they will succumb; fourthly----" -But Bourdoncle was now laughing with him. At this Mouret, delighted, -stopped to call out to the messengers: "Very good, my boys! now for a -sweep, and it'll be splendid!" - -However, on turning round he perceived Denise. He and Bourdoncle -were standing opposite the ready-made departments, which he had just -dismembered by sending the dresses and costumes up to the second-floor -at the other end of the building. Denise, the first down, was opening -her eyes with astonishment, quite bewildered by the new arrangements. - -"What is it?" she murmured; "are we going to move?" - -This surprise appeared to amuse Mouret, who adored these sensational -effects. Early in February Denise had returned to The Ladies' Paradise, -where she had been agreeably surprised to find the staff polite, almost -respectful. Madame Aurélie especially proved very kind; Marguerite -and Clara seemed resigned; whilst old Jouve bowed his head, with an -awkward, embarrassed air, as if desirous of effacing all disagreeable -memories of the past. It had sufficed for Mouret to say a few words -and everybody was whispering and following her with their eyes. And in -this general amiability, the only things that hurt her were Deloche's -singularly melancholy glances and Pauline's inexplicable smiles. - -However, Mouret was still looking at her in his delighted way. - -"What is it you want, mademoiselle?" he asked at last. - -Denise had not noticed him. She blushed slightly. Since her return -she had received various marks of kindness from him which had greatly -touched her. On the other hand Pauline--she knew not why--had given -her a full account of the governor's and Clara's love affairs; and -often returned to the subject, alluding at the same time to that Madame -Desforges, with whom the whole shop was well acquainted. Such stories -stirred Denise's heart; and now, in Mouret's presence, she again felt -all her former fears, an uneasiness in which her gratitude struggled -against her anger. - -"It's all this confusion going on in the place," she murmured. - -Thereupon Mouret approached her and said in a lower voice: "Have the -goodness to come to my office this evening after business. I wish to -speak to you." - -Greatly agitated, she bowed her head without replying a word; and went -into the department where the other saleswomen were now arriving. -Bourdoncle, however, had overheard Mouret, and looked at him with a -smile. He even ventured to say when they were alone: "That girl again! -Be careful; it will end by becoming serious!" - -But Mouret hastily defended himself, concealing his emotion beneath an -air of superior indifference. "Never fear, it's only a joke! The woman -who'll catch me isn't born, my dear fellow!" - -And then, as the shop was opening at last, he rushed off to give a -final look at the various departments. Bourdoncle shook his head. -That girl Denise, so simple and quiet, began to make him feel uneasy. -The first time, he had conquered by a brutal dismissal. But she had -returned, and he felt her power to be so much increased that he now -treated her as a redoubtable adversary, remaining mute before her and -again patiently waiting developments. When he overtook Mouret, he found -him downstairs, in the Saint-Augustin Hall, opposite the entrance door, -where he was shouting: - -"Are you playing the fool with me? I ordered the blue parasols to be -put as a border. Just pull all that down, and be quick about it!" - -He would listen to nothing; a gang of messengers had to come and -re-arrange the exhibition of parasols. Then seeing that customers were -arriving, he even had the doors closed for a moment, declaring that -he would rather keep the place shut than have the blue parasols in -the centre. It ruined his composition. The renowned dressers of the -Paradise, Hutin, Mignot, and others, came to look at the change he was -carrying out, but they affected not to understand it, theirs being a -different school. - -At last the doors were again opened, and the crowd flowed in. From -the outset, long before the shop was full, there was such a crush at -the doorway that they were obliged to call the police to regulate the -traffic on the foot pavement. Mouret had calculated correctly; all -the housewives, a compact troop of middle-class women and work women, -swarmed around the bargains and remnants displayed in the open street. -They felt the "hung" goods at the entrance; calico at seven sous the -mètre, wool and cotton grey stuff at nine sous, and, above all, some -Orleans at seven sous and a half, which was fast emptying the poorer -purses. Then there was feverish jostling and crushing around the -shelves and baskets where articles at reduced prices, lace at two sous, -ribbon at five, garters at three the pair, gloves, petticoats, cravats, -cotton socks, and stockings, were quickly disappearing, as if swallowed -up by the voracious crowd. In spite of the cold, the shopmen who were -selling in the street could not serve fast enough. One woman cried out -with pain in the crush and two little girls were nearly stifled. - -All the morning this crush went on increasing. Towards one o'clock -there was a crowd waiting to enter; the street was blocked as in a -time of riot. Just at that moment, as Madame de Boves and her daughter -Blanche stood hesitating on the pavement opposite, they were accosted -by Madame Marty, also accompanied by her daughter Valentine. - -"What a crowd--eh?" said the countess. "They're killing themselves -inside. I ought not to have come, I was in bed, but got up to take a -little fresh air." - -"It's just like me," said the other. "I promised my husband to go and -see his sister at Montmartre. Then just as I was passing, I thought -of a piece of braid I wanted. I may as well buy it here as anywhere -else, mayn't I? Oh, I shan't spend another sou! in fact I don't want -anything." - -However, seized, carried away as it were, by the force of the crowd, -they did not take their eyes off the door. - -"No, no, I'm not going in, I'm afraid," murmured Madame de Boves. -"Blanche, let's go away, we should be crushed." - -But her voice failed her, she was gradually yielding to a desire to -follow the others; and her fears dissolved before the irresistible -attractions of the crush. Madame Marty likewise was giving way, -repeating the while: "Keep hold of my dress, Valentine. Ah, well! I've -never seen such a thing before. I'm lifted off my feet. What will it be -inside?" - -Caught by the current the ladies could not now go back. Just as rivers -attract the fugitive waters of a valley, so it seemed as if the stream -of customers, flowing into the vestibule, was absorbing the passers-by, -drinking in people from the four corners of Paris. They advanced -but slowly, squeezed almost to death, and maintained upright by the -shoulders around them; and their desires already derived enjoyment from -this painful entrance which heightened their curiosity. It was a medley -of ladies arrayed in silk, of poorly dressed middle-class women, and of -bare-headed girls, all excited and carried away by the same passion. A -few men, buried beneath the overflowing bosoms, were casting anxious -glances around them. A nurse, in the thickest of the crowd, held her -baby above her head, the youngster crowing with delight. The only one -to get angry was a skinny woman who broke out into bad words, accusing -her neighbour of digging right into her. - -"I really think I shall lose my skirts in this crowd," remarked Madame -de Boves. - -Mute, her face still cool from the open air, Madame Marty was standing -on tip-toe in her endeavour to catch a glimpse of the depths of the -shop before the others. The pupils of her grey eyes were as contracted -as those of a cat coming out of the broad daylight, and she had the -restful feeling, and clear expression of a person just waking up. - -"Ah, at last!" said she, heaving a sigh. - -The ladies had just extricated themselves. They were in the -Saint-Augustin Hall, which they were greatly surprised to find almost -empty. But a feeling of comfort penetrated them, they seemed to be -entering into spring after emerging from the winter of the street. -Whilst the piercing wind, laden with rain and hail, was still blowing -out of doors, the fine season was already budding forth in The Paradise -galleries, with the light stuffs, soft flowery shades and rural gaiety -of summer dresses and parasols. - -"Do look there!" exclaimed Madame de Boves, standing motionless, her -eyes in the air. - -It was the exhibition of parasols. Wide-open and rounded like shields, -they covered the whole hall, from the glazed roofing to the varnished -oak mouldings below. They described festoons round the arches of the -upper storeys; they descended in garlands down the slender columns; -they ran in close lines along the balustrades of the galleries and the -staircases; and everywhere ranged symmetrically, speckling the walls -with red, green, and yellow, they looked like huge Venetian lanterns, -lighted up for some colossal entertainment. In the corners were more -complicated designs, stars composed of parasols at thirty-nine sous -whose light shades, pale blue, cream-white, and blush rose, had the -subdued glow of night-lights; whilst, up above, immense Japanese -parasols, on which golden-coloured cranes soared in purple skies, -blazed forth with fiery reflections. - -Madame Marty endeavouring to find a phrase to express her rapture, -exclaimed: "It's like fairyland!" And then trying to find out where she -was she continued: "Let's see, the braid is in the mercery department. -I shall buy my braid and be off." - -"I will go with you," said Madame de Boves. "Eh? Blanche, we'll just go -through the shop, nothing more." - -But they had hardly left the door before they lost themselves. They -turned to the left, and as the mercery department had been moved, -they dropped into the one devoted to collarettes, cuffs, trimmings, -etc. A hot-house heat, moist and close, laden with the insipid odour -of the materials, and muffling the tramping of the crowd, prevailed -in the galleries. Then they returned to the door, where an outward -current was already established, an interminable _défilé_ of women -and children, above whom hovered a multitude of red air-balls. Forty -thousand of these were ready; there were men specially placed for their -distribution; and to see the customers on their way out, one might have -imagined that a flight of enormous soap-bubbles, reflecting the fiery -glare of the parasols, was hovering in the air. The whole place was -illuminated by them. - -"There's quite a world here!" declared Madame de Boves. "You hardly -know where you are." - -However, the ladies could not remain in the eddy of the door, right in -the crush of the entrance and exit. Fortunately, inspector Jouve came -to their assistance. He stood in the vestibule, grave and attentive, -eyeing each woman as she passed. Specially charged with the indoor -police service he was on the look-out for thieves and "lifters." - -"The mercery department, ladies?" said he obligingly, "turn to the -left; you see! just there behind the hosiery department." - -Madame de Boves thanked him. But Madame Marty, on turning round, no -longer saw her daughter Valentine beside her. She was beginning to -feel frightened, when she caught sight of her, already a long way -off, at the end of the Saint-Augustin Hall, deeply absorbed before a -table covered with a heap of women's cravats at nineteen sous. Mouret -practised the system of offering articles to the customers, hooking -and plundering them as they passed; for he made use of every sort of -advertisement, laughing at the discretion of certain fellow-tradesmen -who thought their goods should be left to speak for themselves. Special -salesmen, idle and smooth-tongued Parisians, in this way got rid of -considerable quantities of small trashy things. - -"Oh, mamma!" murmured Valentine, "just look at these cravats. They have -a bird embroidered at one corner." - -The shopman cracked up the article, swore that it was all silk, that -the manufacturer had become bankrupt, and that they would never have -such a bargain again. - -"Nineteen sous--is it possible?" said Madame Marty, tempted like her -daughter. "Well! I can take a couple, that won't ruin us." - -Madame de Boves, however, disdained this style of thing; she detested -to have things offered to her. A shopman calling her made her run away. -Madame Marty, surprised, could not understand such nervous horror of -commercial quackery, for she was of another nature; she was one of -those women who delight in being thus caressed by a public offer, in -plunging their hands into everything, and wasting their time in useless -talk. - -"Now," said she, "I'm going for my braid. I don't wish to see anything -else." - -However, as she crossed the scarf and glove departments, her heart once -more failed her. Here in the diffuse light was a display made up of -bright gay colours, of ravishing effect. The counters, symmetrically -arranged, seemed like so many flower-borders, changing the hall into -a French garden, where smiled a soft scale of blossoms. Lying now on -the bare wood, now in open boxes, and now protruding from overflowing -drawers was a quantity of silk handkerchiefs of every hue. You -found the bright scarlet of the geranium, the creamy white of the -petunia, the golden yellow of the chrysanthemum, the celestial azure -of the verbena; and higher up, on brass rods, another florescence -was entwined, a florescence of carelessly hung _fichus_ and unrolled -ribbons, quite a brilliant _cordon_, which extended on and on, climbing -the columns and constantly multiplying in the mirrors. But what most -attracted the throng was a Swiss chalet in the glove department, a -chalet made entirely of gloves, Mignot's _chef d'œuvre_ which it had -taken him two days to arrange. In the first place, the ground-floor -was composed of black gloves; and then in turn came straw-coloured, -mignonette, and tan-coloured gloves, distributed over the decoration, -bordering the windows, outlining the balconies, and taking the place of -the tiles. - -"What do you desire, madame?" asked Mignot, on seeing Madame Marty -planted before the cottage. "Here are some Suède gloves at one franc -seventy-five centimes the pair, first quality." - -He offered his wares with furious energy, calling the passing customers -to his counter and dunning them with his politeness. And as she shook -her head in token of refusal he continued: "Tyrolian gloves, one franc -twenty-five. Turin gloves for children, embroidered gloves in all -colours." - -"No, thanks; I don't want anything," declared Madame Marty. - -But realising that her voice was softening, he attacked her with -greater energy than ever, holding the embroidered gloves before her -eyes; and she could not resist, she bought a pair. Then, as Madame de -Boves looked at her with a smile, she blushed. - -"Don't you think me childish--eh? If I don't make haste and get my -braid and be off, I shall be done for." - -Unfortunately, there was such a crush in the mercery department that -she could not get served. They had both been waiting for over ten -minutes, and were getting annoyed, when a sudden meeting with Madame -Bourdelais and her three children diverted their attention. Madame -Bourdelais explained, with her quiet practical air, that she had -brought the little ones to see the show. Madeleine was ten, Edmond -eight, and Lucien four years old; and they were laughing with joy, it -was a cheap treat which they had long looked forward to. - -"Those red parasols are really too comical; I must buy one," said -Madame Marty all at once, stamping with impatience at doing nothing. - -She choose one at fourteen francs and a half; whereupon Madame -Bourdelais, after watching the purchase with a look of censure, said to -her amicably: "You are wrong to be in such a hurry. In a month's time -you could have had it for ten francs. They won't catch me like that." - -And thereupon she developed quite a theory of careful housekeeping. -Since the shops lowered their prices, it was simply a question of -waiting. She did not wish to be taken in by them, she preferred to -profit by their real bargains. She even showed some malice in the -struggle, boasting that she had never left them a sou of profit. - -"Come," said she at last, "I've promised my little ones to show them -the pictures upstairs in the reading-room. Come up with us, you have -plenty of time." - -And thereupon the braid was forgotten. Madame Marty yielded at once, -whilst Madame de Boves declined, preferring to take a turn on the -ground-floor first of all. Besides, they were sure to meet again -upstairs. Madame Bourdelais was looking for a staircase when she -perceived one of the lifts; and thereupon she pushed her children into -it, in order to cap their pleasure. Madame Marty and Valentine also -entered the narrow cage, where they were very closely packed; however -the mirrors, the velvet seats, and the polished brasswork took up so -much of their attention that they reached the first floor without -having felt the gentle ascent of the machine. Another pleasure was -in store for them, in the first gallery. As they passed before the -refreshment bar, Madame Bourdelais did not fail to gorge her little -family with syrup. It was a square room with a large marble counter; -at either end there were silvered filters from which trickled small -streams of water; whilst rows of bottles stood on small shelves -behind. Three waiters were continually engaged in wiping and filling -the glasses. To restrain the thirsty crowd, they had been obliged to -imitate the practice followed at theatres and railway-stations, by -erecting a barrier draped with velvet. The crush was terrific. Some -people, whom these gratuitous treats rendered altogether unscrupulous, -really made themselves ill. - -"Well! where are they?" exclaimed Madame Bourdelais, when she -extricated herself from the crowd, after wiping the children's faces -with her handkerchief. - -But she caught sight of Madame Marty and Valentine at the further -end of another gallery, a long way off. Buried beneath a heap of -petticoats, they were still buying. There was no more restraint, mother -and daughter vanished in the fever of expenditure which was carrying -them away. When Madame Bourdelais at last reached the reading-room she -installed Madeleine, Edmond, and Lucien before the large table; and -taking some photographic albums from one of the book-cases she brought -them to them. The ceiling of the long apartment was covered with -gilding; at either end was a monumental chimney-piece; some pictures of -no great merit but very richly framed, covered the walls; and between -the columns, before each of the arched bays opening into the shop, -were tall green plants in majolica vases. A silent throng surrounded -the table, which was littered with reviews and newspapers, with here -and there some ink-stands, boxes of stationery, and blotting-pads. -Ladies took off their gloves, and wrote letters on the paper stamped -with the name of the establishment, through which they ran their -pens. A few gentlemen, lolling back in armchairs, were reading the -newspapers. But a great many people sat there doing nothing: these -were husbands waiting for their wives, who were roaming through the -various departments, young women on the watch for their lovers, and old -relations left there as in a cloak-room, to be taken away when it was -time to leave. And all these people lounged and rested whilst glancing -through the open bays into the depths of the galleries and the halls, -whence a distant murmur ascended amidst the scratching of pens and the -rustling of newspapers. - -"What! you here!" said Madame Bourdelais all at once. "I didn't -recognise you." - -Near the children sat a lady, her face hidden by the open pages of a -review. It was Madame Guibal. She seemed annoyed at the meeting; but -quickly recovering herself, related that she had come to sit down for a -moment in order to escape the crush. And as Madame Bourdelais asked her -if she was going to make any purchases, she replied with her languorous -air, veiling the egoistical greediness of her glance with her eyelids: - -"Oh! no. On the contrary, I have come to return some goods. Yes, some -door-curtains which I don't like. But there is such a crowd that I am -waiting to get near the department." - -Then she went on talking, saying how convenient this system of returns -was; formerly she had never bought anything, but now she sometimes -allowed herself to be tempted. In fact, she returned four articles -out of every five, and was getting known at all the counters for the -strange trafficking she carried on--a trafficking easily divined by the -perpetual discontent which made her bring back her purchases one by -one, after she had kept them several days. However, whilst speaking, -she did not take her eyes off the doors of the reading-room; and she -appeared greatly relieved when Madame Bourdelais rejoined her children, -to explain the photographs to them. Almost at the same moment Monsieur -de Boves and Paul de Vallagnosc came in. The count, who affected to -be showing the young man through the new buildings, exchanged a quick -glance with Madame Guibal; and she then plunged into her review again, -as if she had not seen him. - -"Hallo, Paul!" suddenly exclaimed a voice behind the two gentlemen. - -It was Mouret taking a glance round the various departments. They shook -hands, and he at once inquired: - -"Has Madame de Boves done us the honour of coming?" - -"Well, no," replied the husband, "and she very much regrets it. She's -not very well. Oh! nothing dangerous, however!" - -But he suddenly pretended to catch sight of Madame Guibal, and hastened -off, approaching her bareheaded, whilst the others merely bowed to her -from a distance. She also pretended to be surprised. Paul smiled; he -now understood the affair, and he related to Mouret in a low voice how -Boves, whom he had met in the Rue de Richelieu, had tried to get away -from him, and had finished by dragging him into The Ladies' Paradise, -under the pretext that he must show him the new buildings. For the last -year the lady had drawn all the money she could from Boves, making -constant appointments with him in public places, churches, museums, and -shops. - -"Just look at him," added the young man, "isn't he splendid, standing -there before her with his dignified air? It's the old French gallantry, -my dear fellow, the old French gallantry!" - -"And your marriage?" asked Mouret. - -Paul, without taking his eyes off the count, replied that they were -still waiting for the death of the aunt. Then, with a triumphant air, -he added: "There, did you see him? He stooped down, and slipped an -address into her hand. She's now accepting the rendezvous with the -most virtuous air. She's a terrible woman is that delicate red-haired -creature with her careless ways. Well! some fine things go on in your -place!" - -"Oh!" replied Mouret, smiling, "these ladies are not in my house, they -are at home here." - -Then, still continuing his gossip, he carried his old comrade along -to the threshold of the reading-room, opposite the grand central -gallery, whose successive halls spread out below them. In the rear, -the reading-room still retained its quietude, only disturbed by the -scratching of pens and the rustling of newspapers. One old gentleman -had gone to sleep over the _Moniteur_. Monsieur de Boves was looking -at the pictures, with the evident intention of losing his future -son-in-law in the crowd as soon as possible. And, alone, amid this -calmness, Madame Bourdelais was amusing her children, talking very -loudly, as in a conquered place. - -"You see, they are quite at home," said Mouret, who pointed with a -broad gesture to the multitude of women with which the departments were -overflowing. - -Just then Madame Desforges, after nearly having her mantle carried away -in the crowd, at last effected an entrance and crossed the first hall. -Then, on reaching the principal gallery, she raised her eyes. It was -like a railway span, surrounded by the balustrades of the two storeys, -intersected by hanging stairways and crossed by flying bridges. The -iron staircases developed bold curves, which multiplied the landings; -the bridges suspended in space, ran straight along at a great height; -and in the white light from the windows all this iron work formed an -excessively delicate architecture, an intricate lace-work through which -the daylight penetrated, the modern realization of a dreamland palace, -of a Babel with storeys piled one above the other, and spacious halls -affording glimpses of other floors and other halls _ad infinitum_. In -fact, iron reigned everywhere: the young architect had been honest and -courageous enough not to disguise it under a coating of paint imitating -stone or wood. Down below, in order not to outshine the goods, the -decoration was sober, with large regular spaces in neutral tints; then -as the metallic work ascended, the capitals of the columns became -richer, the rivets formed ornaments, the shoulder-pieces and corbels -were covered with sculptured work; and at last, up above, glistened -painting, green and red, amidst a prodigality of gold, floods of gold, -heaps of gold, even to the glazed-work, whose panes were enamelled and -inlaid with gold. In the galleries, the bare brick-work of the arches -was also decorated in bright colours. Mosaics and faience likewise -formed part of the decoration, enlivening the friezes, and lighting up -the severe _ensemble_ with their fresh tints; whilst the stairs, with -red-velvet covered hand-rails, were edged with bands of polished iron, -which shone like the steel of armour. - -Although Madame Desforges was already acquainted with the new -establishment, she stopped short, struck by the ardent life which that -day animated the immense nave. Below and around her continued the -eddying of the crowd; the double current of those entering and those -leaving, making itself felt as far as the silk department. It was still -a crowd of very mixed elements, though the afternoon was bringing a -greater number of ladies amongst the shopkeepers and house-wives. There -were many women in mourning, with flowing veils; and there were always -some wet nurses straying about and protecting their infantile charges -with their outstretched arms. And this sea of faces, of many-coloured -hats and bare heads, both dark and fair, rolled from one to the -other end of the galleries, vague and discoloured amidst the glare -of the stuffs. On all sides Madame Desforges saw large price-tickets -bearing enormous figures and showing prominently against the bright -printed cottons, the shining silks, and the sombre woollens. Piles of -ribbons half hid the heads of the customers, a wall of flannel threw -out a promontory; on all sides mirrors multiplied the departments, -reflecting the displays and the groups of people, now showing faces -reversed, and now halves of shoulders and arms; whilst to the right and -to the left the lateral galleries opened up other vistas, the snowy -depths of the linen department and the speckled depths of the hosiery -counters--distant views which were illumined by rays of light from some -glazed bay, and in which the crowd seemed but so much human dust. Then, -when Madame Desforges raised her eyes, she beheld on the staircases -and the flying bridges and behind the balustrades of each successive -storey, a continual buzzing ascent, an entire population in the air, -passing along behind the open work of this huge carcass of metal and -showing blackly against the diffuse light from the enamelled glass. -Large gilded lustres were suspended from the ceiling; decorations of -rugs, embroidered silks and stuffs worked with gold, hung down, draping -the balustrades as with gorgeous banners; and, from one to the other -end were clouds of lace, palpitations of muslin, trophies of silks, -fairy-like groups of half-dressed dummies; and right at the top, above -all the confusion, the bedding department, hanging, as it were, in the -air, displayed its little iron bedsteads provided with mattresses, and -hung with curtains, the whole forming a sort of school dormitory asleep -amidst the tramping of the customers, who became fewer and fewer as the -departments ascended. - -"Does madame require a cheap pair of garters?" asked a salesman -of Madame Desforges on seeing her standing still. "All silk, at -twenty-nine sous." - -She did not condescend to answer. Things were being offered around her -more feverishly than ever. She wanted, however, to find out where she -was. Albert Lhomme's pay-desk was on her left; he knew her by sight -and ventured to give her an amiable smile, not showing the least hurry -amidst the heaps of bills by which he was besieged; though behind him, -Joseph, struggling with the string-box, could not pack up the articles -fast enough. She then saw where she was; the silk department must be -in front of her. But it took her ten minutes to reach it, so dense -was the crowd becoming. Up in the air, at the end of their invisible -strings, the red air-balls had become more numerous than ever; they now -formed clouds of purple, gently blowing towards the doors whence they -continued scattering over Paris; and she had to bow her head beneath -their flight whenever very young children held them with the string -rolled round their little fingers. - -"What! you have ventured here, madame?" exclaimed Bouthemont gaily, as -soon as he caught sight of Madame Desforges. - -The manager of the silk department, introduced to her by Mouret -himself, now occasionally called on her at her five o'clock tea. She -thought him common, but very amiable, of a fine sanguine temper, which -surprised and amused her. Moreover some two days previously he had -boldly told her of the intrigue between Mouret and Clara, He had not -done this with any calculating motive but out of sheer stupidity, -like a fellow who loves a joke. She, however, stung with jealousy, -concealing her wounded feelings beneath an appearance of disdain, had -that afternoon come to try and discover her rival, a young lady in the -mantle department, so Bouthemont had told her, though declining to give -the name. - -"Do you require anything to-day?" he inquired. - -"Of course, or I should not have come. Have you any _foulard_ for -morning gowns?" - -She hoped to obtain the name of the young lady from him, for she was -full of a desire to see her. He immediately called Favier; and then -went on chatting whilst waiting for the salesman, who was just serving -another customer. This happened to be "the pretty lady," that beautiful -blonde of whom the whole department occasionally spoke, without knowing -anything of her life or even her name. This time the pretty lady was -in deep mourning. Whom could she have lost--her husband or her father? -Not her father, for she would have appeared more melancholy. What had -they all been saying then? She could not be a questionable character; -she must have had a real husband--that is unless she were in mourning -for her mother. For a few minutes, despite the press of business, the -department exchanged these various speculations. - -"Make haste! it's intolerable!" cried Hutin to Favier, when he returned -from showing his customer to the pay-desk. "Whenever that lady is here -you never seem to finish. She doesn't care a fig for you!" - -"She cares a deuced sight more for me than I do for her!" replied the -vexed salesman. - -But Hutin threatened to report him to the directors if he did not show -more respect for the customers. The second-hand was becoming terrible, -of a morose severity ever since the department had conspired to get -him Robineau's place. He even showed himself so intolerable, after all -the promises of good-fellowship, with which he had formerly warmed his -colleagues' zeal, that the latter were now secretly supporting Favier -against him. - -"Now, then, no back answers," replied Hutin sharply. "Monsieur -Bouthemont wishes you to show some _foulards_ of the lightest patterns." - -In the middle of the department, an exhibition of summer silks -illumined the hall with an aurora-like brilliancy, like the rising -of a planet amidst the most delicate tints: pale rose, soft yellow, -limpid blue, indeed the whole scarf of Iris. There were _foulards_ of -a cloudy fineness, surahs lighter than the down falling from trees, -satined pekins as soft and supple as a Chinese beauty's skin. Then -came Japanese pongees, Indian tussores and corahs, without counting -the light French silks, the narrow stripes, the small checks and the -flowered patterns, all the most fanciful designs, which made one think -of ladies in furbelows, strolling in the sweet May mornings, under the -spreading trees of some park. - -"I'll take this, the Louis XIV, with figured roses," said Madame -Desforges at last. - -And whilst Favier was measuring it, she made a last attempt with -Bouthemont, who had remained near her. - -"I'm going up to the ready-made department to see if they have any -travelling cloaks. Is she fair, the young lady you were talking about?" - -The manager, who felt rather anxious on finding her so persistent, -merely smiled. But, just at that moment, Denise passed by. She had just -come from the merinoes which were in the charge of Liénard to whom she -had escorted Madame Boutarel, that provincial lady who came to Paris -twice a year, to scatter the money she saved out of her housekeeping -all over the Ladies' Paradise. And thereupon, just as Favier was about -to take up Madame Desforges's silk, Hutin, thinking to annoy him, -interfered. - -"It's quite unnecessary, Mademoiselle will have the kindness to conduct -this lady." - -Denise, quite confused, at once took charge of the parcel and the -debit-note. She could never meet this young man face to face without -experiencing a feeling of shame, as if he reminded her of some former -fault; and yet she had only sinned in her dreams. - -"But just tell me," said Madame Desforges, in a low tone, to -Bouthemont, "isn't it this awkward girl? He has taken her back, I see? -It must be she who is the heroine of the adventure!" - -"Perhaps," replied the silk manager, still smiling, but fully decided -not to tell the truth. - -Madame Desforges then slowly ascended the staircase, preceded by -Denise; but after every two or three steps she had to pause in order -to avoid being carried away by the descending crowd. In the living -vibration of the whole building, the iron supports seemed to sway under -your feet as if quivering beneath the breath of the multitude. On each -stair was a strongly fixed dummy, displaying some garment or other: a -costume, cloak, or dressing-gown; and the whole was like a double row -of soldiers at attention whilst some triumphal procession went past. - -Madame Desforges was at last reaching the first storey, when a still -greater surging of the crowd forced her to stop once more. Beneath her -she now had the departments on the ground-floor, with the press of -customers through which she had just passed. This was a new spectacle, -a sea of fore-shortened heads, swarming with agitation like an -ant-hill. The white price-tickets now seemed but so many narrow lines, -the piles of ribbon became quite squat, the promontory of flannel -was but a thin partition barring the gallery; whilst the carpets and -the embroidered silks which decked the balustrades hung down like -processional banners suspended from the gallery of a church. In the -distance Madame Desforges could perceive some corners of the lateral -galleries, just as from the top of a steeple one perceives the corners -of neighbouring streets, with black specks of passers-by moving about. -But what surprised her above all, in the weariness of her eyes blinded -by the brilliant medley of colours, was, on lowering their lids, -to realize the presence of the crowd more keenly than ever, by its -dull roar like that of the rising tide, and the human warmth that it -exhaled. A fine dust rose from the floor, laden with _odore di femina_, -a penetrating perfume, which seemed like the incense of this temple -raised for the worship of woman. - -Meanwhile Mouret, still standing before the reading-room with -Vallagnosc, was inhaling this odour, intoxicating himself with it, and -repeating: "They are quite at home. I know some who spend the whole day -here, eating cakes and writing letters. There's only one thing left me -to do, and that is, to find them beds." - -This joke made Paul smile, he who, in his pessimistic boredom -considered the turbulence of this multitude running after a lot of -gew-gaws to be idiotic. Whenever he came to give his old comrade a -look-up, he went away almost vexed to find him so full of life amidst -his people of coquettes. Would not one of them, with shallow brain and -empty heart, some day make him realize the stupidity and uselessness of -life? That very day Octave seemed to have lost some of his equilibrium; -he who generally inspired his customers with a fever, with the tranquil -grace of an operator, was as though caught by the passion which was -gradually consuming the whole establishment. Since he had caught sight -of Denise and Madame Desforges coming up the grand staircase, he had -been talking louder, gesticulating against his will; and though he -affected not to turn his face towards them, he grew more and more -animated as he felt them drawing nearer. His face became flushed and in -his eyes was a little of that bewildered rapture with which the eyes of -his customers at last quivered. - -"You must be fearfully robbed," murmured Vallagnosc, who thought that -the crowd looked very criminal. - -Mouret threw his arms out. "My dear fellow, it's beyond all -imagination," said he. - -And, nervously, delighted at having something to talk about, he gave -a number of details, related cases, and classified the delinquents. -In the first place, there were the professional thieves; these women -did the least harm of all, for the police knew every one of them. Then -came the kleptomaniacs, who stole from a perverse desire, a new form -of nervous affection which a doctor had classed, showing it to be the -result of the temptations of the big shops. And finally came the women -who were _enceintes_ and whose thefts were invariably thefts of some -especially coveted article. For instance, at the house of one of them, -the district commissary of police had found two hundred and forty-eight -pairs of pink gloves stolen from well nigh every shop in Paris. - -"That's what gives the women such funny eyes here, then," murmured -Vallagnosc, "I've been watching them with their greedy, shameful looks, -like mad creatures. A fine school for honesty!" - -"Hang it!" replied Mouret, "though we make them quite at home, we -can't let them take the goods away under their mantles. And sometimes -they are very respectable people. Last week we caught the sister of a -chemist, and the wife of a judge. Yes, the wife of a judge! However, we -always try to settle these matters." - -He paused to point out Jouve, who was just then looking sharply after -a woman at the ribbon counter below. This woman, who appeared to be -suffering a great deal from the jostling of the crowd, was accompanied -by a friend, whose mission seemed to be to protect her against all -hurt, and each time she stopped in a department, Jouve kept his eyes on -her, whilst her friend near by ransacked the card-board boxes at her -ease. - -"Oh! he'll catch her!" resumed Mouret; "he knows all their tricks." - -But his voice trembled and he laughed in an awkward manner. Denise and -Henriette, whom he had ceased to watch, were at last passing behind -him, after having had a great deal of trouble to get out of the crush. -He turned round suddenly, and bowed to his customer with the discreet -air of a friend who does not desire to compromise a woman by stopping -her in a crowd of people. But Henriette, on the alert, had at once -perceived the look with which he had first enveloped Denise. It must be -this girl--thought she--yes, this was the rival she had been curious to -come and see. - -In the mantle department, the young ladies were fast losing their -heads. Two of them had fallen ill, and Madame Frédéric, the -second-hand, had quietly given notice the previous day, and repaired to -the cashier's office to take her money, leaving The Ladies' Paradise -at a minute's notice, just as The Ladies' Paradise itself discharged -its employees. Ever since the morning, in spite of the feverish rush of -business, every one had been talking of this affair. Clara, still kept -in the department by Mouret's caprice, thought it grand. Marguerite -related how exasperated Bourdoncle was; whilst Madame Aurélie, greatly -vexed, declared that Madame Frédéric ought at least to have informed -her, for such hypocrisy had never before been heard of. - -Although Madame Frédéric had never confided in any one, she was -suspected of having relinquished her position to marry the proprietor -of some baths in the neighbourhood of the Halles. - -"It's a travelling cloak that madame desires, I believe?" inquired -Denise of Madame Desforges, after offering her a chair. - -"Yes," curtly replied the latter, who had made up her mind to be -impolite. - -The new decorations of the department were of a rich severity: on -all sides were high carved oak cupboards with mirrors filling the -whole space of their panels, while a red carpet muffled the continued -tramping of the customers. Whilst Denise went off to fetch the cloaks, -Madame Desforges, who was looking round, perceived her face in a glass; -and she continued contemplating herself. Was she getting old then that -she should be cast aside for the first-comer? The glass reflected the -entire department with all its commotion, but she only beheld her own -pale face; she did not hear Clara behind her, relating to Marguerite a -story of Madame Frédéric's mysterious goings-on, the manner in which -she went out of her way night and morning so as to pass through the -Passage Choiseul, and thus make people believe that she lived over the -water. - -"Here are our latest designs," said Denise. "We have them in several -colours." - -She laid out four or five cloaks. Madame Desforges looked at them with -a scornful air, and became harsher at each fresh one that she examined. -What was the reason of those pleats which made the garment look so -scanty? And that other one, square across the shoulders, why, you might -have thought it had been cut out with a hatchet! Though people went -travelling they could not dress like sentry-boxes! - -"Show me something else, mademoiselle." - -Denise unfolded and refolded the garments without the slightest sign -of ill temper. And it was just this calm, serene patience which -exasperated Madame Desforges the more. Her glances continually returned -to the glass in front of her. Now that she saw herself there, close to -Denise she ventured on a comparison. Was it possible that he should -prefer that insignificant creature to herself? She now remembered that -this was the girl whom she had formerly seen cutting such a silly -figure at the time of her début--as clumsy as any peasant wench freshly -arrived from her village. No doubt she looked better now, stiff and -correct in her silk gown. But how puny, how common-place she was! - -"I will show you some other patterns, madame," said Denise, quietly. - -When she returned, the scene began again. Then it was the cloth that -was too heavy or of no good whatever. And Madame Desforges turned -round, raising her voice, and endeavouring to attract Madame Aurélie's -attention, in the hope of getting the girl a scolding. But Denise, -since her return, had gradually conquered the department, and now -felt quite at home in it; the first-hand had even recognised that she -possessed some rare and valuable qualities as a saleswoman--a stubborn -sweetness, a smiling force of conviction. And thus when Madame Aurélie -heard Madame Desforges she simply shrugged her shoulders, taking care -not to interfere. - -"Would you kindly tell me the kind of garment you require, madame?" -asked Denise, once more, with her polite persistence, which nothing -could discourage. - -"But you've got nothing!" exclaimed Madame Desforges. - -She stopped short, surprised to feel a hand laid on her shoulder. -It was the hand of Madame Marty, who was being carried through the -establishment by her fever for spending. Since the cravats, the -embroidered gloves, and the red parasol, her purchases had increased to -such an extent that the last salesman had just decided to place them -all on a chair, as to have carried them on his arm, might have broken -it; and he walked in front of her, drawing along the chair, upon which -petticoats, napkins, curtains, a lamp, and three straw hats were heaped -together. - -"Ah!" said she, "you are buying a travelling cloak." - -"Oh! dear, no," replied Madame Desforges; "they are frightful." - -However Madame Marty had just noticed a striped cloak which she rather -liked. Her daughter Valentine was already examining it. So Denise -called Marguerite to clear the article out of the department, it being -one of the previous year's patterns, and Marguerite, at a glance from -her comrade, presented it as an exceptional bargain. When she had sworn -that they had twice lowered the price, that they had reduced it from -a hundred and fifty francs, to a hundred and thirty, and that it was -now ticketed at a hundred and ten, Madame Marty could not withstand -the temptation of its cheapness. She bought it, and the salesman who -accompanied her thereupon went off, leaving the chair and the parcels -behind him with all the debit-notes attached to the goods. - -Whilst Marguerite was debiting the cloak, Madame Marty turned her head, -and on catching sight of Clara made a slight sign to Madame Desforges, -then whispered to her: "Monsieur Mouret's caprice, you know!" - -The other, in surprise, looked round at Clara; and then, after again -turning her eyes on Denise, replied: "But it isn't the tall one; it's -the little one!" - -And as Madame Marty could not be sure which of the two it was, Madame -Desforges resumed aloud, with the scorn of a lady for chambermaids: -"Perhaps both!" - -Denise had heard everything, and raised her large, pure eyes on this -lady who was thus wounding her, and whom she did not know. No doubt -it was the lady of whom people had spoken to her, the lady with whom -Mouret's name was so often associated. In the glances that were -exchanged between them, Denise displayed such melancholy dignity, such -frank innocence, that Henriette felt quite uncomfortable. - -"As you have nothing presentable to show me here, conduct me to the -dress and costume department," she said all at once. - -"I'll go with you as well," exclaimed Madame Marty, "I wanted to see a -costume for Valentine." - -Marguerite thereupon took the chair by its back, and dragged it along -on its hind legs, which were getting rather worn by this species of -locomotion. Denise on her side only carried the few yards of silk, -bought by Madame Desforges. They had, however, quite a journey before -them now that the robes and costumes were installed on the second -floor, at the other end of the establishment. - -And the long walk commenced along the crowded galleries. Marguerite -went in front, drawing the chair along, like some little vehicle, -and slowly opening a passage. As soon as she reached the under-linen -department, Madame Desforges began to complain: wasn't it ridiculous, -a shop where you were obliged to walk a couple of leagues to find the -least thing! Madame Marty also declared that she was tired to death, -yet she none the less enjoyed this fatigue, this slow exhaustion of -strength, amidst the inexhaustible wealth of merchandise displayed on -every side. Mouret's idea, full of genius, had absolutely subjugated -her and she paused in each fresh department. She made a first halt -before the trousseaux, tempted by some chemises which Pauline sold -her; and Marguerite then found herself relieved of the burden of -the chair, which Pauline had to take, with the debit-notes. Madame -Desforges might have gone on her way, and thus have liberated Denise -more speedily, but she seemed happy to feel her behind her, motionless -and patient, whilst she also lingered, advising her friend. In the -baby-linen department the ladies went into ecstasies, but, of course, -without buying anything. Then Madame Marty's weaknesses began anew; she -succumbed successively before a black silk corset, a pair of fur cuffs, -sold at a reduction on account of the lateness of the season, and some -Russian lace much in vogue at that time for trimming table-linen. All -these things were heaped up on the chair, the number of parcels still -increased, making the chair creak; and the salesmen who succeeded -one another, found it more and more difficult to drag the improvised -vehicle along as its load became heavier and heavier. - -"This way, madame," said Denise without a murmur, after each halt. - -"But it's absurd!" exclaimed Madame Desforges. "We shall never get -there. Why did they not put the dresses and costumes near the mantles -department? It _is_ a mess!" - -Madame Marty, whose eyes were sparkling, intoxicated by the succession -of riches dancing before her, repeated in an undertone: "Oh, dear! What -will my husband say? You are right, there is no order in this place. A -person loses herself and commits all sorts of follies." - -On the great central landing there was scarcely room for the chair to -pass, as Mouret had just blocked the open space with a lot of fancy -goods--cups mounted on gilt zinc, flash dressing-cases and liqueur -stands--being of opinion that the crowd there was not sufficiently -great, and that circulation was too easy. And he had also authorized -one of his shopmen to exhibit on a small table there some Chinese and -Japanese curiosities, low-priced knick-knacks which customers eagerly -snatched up. It was an unexpected success, and he already thought of -extending this branch of his business. Whilst two messengers carried -the chair up to the second floor, Madame Marty purchased six ivory -studs, some silk mice, and a lacquered match-box. - -On the second floor the journey began afresh. Denise, who had been -showing customers about in this way ever since the morning, was sinking -with fatigue; but she still continued correct, gentle, and polite. -She again had to wait for the ladies in the furnishing materials -department, where a delightful cretonne had caught Madame Marty's eye. -Then, in the furniture department, a work-table took her fancy. Her -hands trembled, and with a laugh she was entreating Madame Desforges to -prevent her from spending any more money, when a meeting with Madame -Guibal furnished her with an excuse to continue her purchases. The -meeting took place in the carpet department, whither Madame Guibal had -gone to return some Oriental door-curtains which she had purchased five -days previously. And she was standing there, talking to the salesman, -a brawny fellow with sinewy arms, who from morning to night carried -loads heavy enough to break a bullock's back. Naturally he was in -consternation at this "return," which deprived him of his commission, -and so did his best to embarrass his customer, suspecting some queer -adventure, no doubt a ball given with these curtains, bought at The -Ladies' Paradise, and then returned, to avoid the cost of hire at an -upholsterer's. He knew indeed that this was frequently done by the -economical middle-class people. In short, she must have some reason -for returning them; if she did not like the designs or the colours, he -would show her others, he had a most complete assortment. To all these -insinuations, however, Madame Guibal with queenly assurance replied -quietly that the curtains did not suit her; and she did not deign to -add any explanation. She refused to look at any others, and he was -obliged to give way, for the salesmen had orders to take the goods back -even if they saw that they had been used. - -As the three ladies went off together, and Madame Marty referred -remorsefully to the work-table for which she had no earthly need, -Madame Guibal said in her calm voice: "Well! you can return it. You saw -it was quite easy. Meantime let them send it to your house. You can put -it in your drawing-room, keep it for a time and then if you don't like -it, return it." - -"Ah! that's a good idea!" exclaimed Madame Marty. "If my husband makes -too much fuss, I'll send everything back." This was for her the supreme -excuse, she ceased calculating and went on buying, with the secret -wish, however, to keep everything, for she was not one of those women -who give things back. - -At last they arrived in the dress and costume department. But as -Denise was about to deliver to another young lady the silk which -Madame Desforges had purchased the latter seemed to change her mind, -and declared that she would decidedly take one of the travelling -cloaks, the light grey one with the hood; and Denise then had to wait -complacently till she was ready to return to the mantle department. The -girl felt that she was being treated like a servant by this imperious, -whimsical customer; but she had vowed to do her duty, and retained her -calm demeanour, notwithstanding the rising of her heart and rebellion -of her pride. Madame Desforges bought nothing in the dress and costume -department. - -"Oh! mamma," said Valentine, "if that little costume should only fit -me!" - -In a low tone, Madame Guibal was explaining her tactics to Madame -Marty. When she saw a dress she liked in a shop, she had it sent home, -took a pattern of it, and then sent it back. And thereupon Madame Marty -bought the costume for her daughter remarking: "A good idea! You are -very practical, my dear madame." - -They had been obliged to abandon the chair. It had been left in -distress, in the furniture department, beside the work-table, for its -weight had become too great, and its hind legs threatened to break -off. So it was arranged that all the purchases should be centralized -at one pay-desk, and thence sent down to the delivery department. -And then the ladies, still accompanied by Denise, began roaming all -over the establishment, making a second appearance in nearly every -department. They were ever on the stairs and in the galleries; and at -each moment some fresh meeting brought them to a standstill. Thus, near -the reading-room, they once more came across Madame Bourdelais and her -three children. The youngsters were loaded with parcels: Madeleine had -a dress for herself under her arm, Edmond was carrying a collection of -little shoes, whilst the youngest, Lucien, was wearing a new cap. - -"You as well!" said Madame Desforges, laughingly, to her old -school-friend. - -"Pray, don't speak of it!" exclaimed Madame Bourdelais. "I'm furious. -They get hold of us by the little ones now! You know how little I spend -on myself! But how can you expect me to resist the entreaties of these -children, who want everything? I merely came to show them round, and -here am I plundering the whole establishment!" - -Mouret, who still happened to be there, with Vallagnosc and Monsieur de -Boves, listened to her with a smile. She observed it, and complained -gaily, though with an undercurrent of real irritation, of these traps -laid for a mother's affection; the idea that she had just yielded to -the force of puffery raised her indignation, and he, still smiling, -bowed, fully enjoying his triumph. Monsieur de Boves meanwhile had -manœuvred so as to get near Madame Guibal, whom he ultimately followed, -for the second time trying to lose Vallagnosc; but the latter, weary of -the crush, hastened to rejoin him. And now once more Denise was brought -to a standstill, obliged to wait for the ladies. She turned her back, -and Mouret himself affected not to see her. But from that moment Madame -Desforges, with the delicate scent of a jealous woman, had no further -doubt. Whilst he was complimenting her and walking beside her, like a -gallant host, she became deeply absorbed in thought, wondering how she -could convict him of his treason. - -Meanwhile Monsieur de Boves and Vallagnosc, who had gone on in front -with Madame Guibal, reached the lace department, a luxurious room, -surrounded by nests of carved oak drawers, which were constantly being -opened and shut. Around the columns, covered with red velvet, spirals -of white lace ascended; and from one to the other end of the department -hung festoons of guipure, whilst on the counters were quantities of -large cards, wound round with Valenciennes, Malines, and hand-made -point. At the further end two ladies were seated before a mauve silk -_transparent_, on which Deloche was placing some pieces of Chantilly, -the ladies meantime looking on in silence and without making up their -minds. - -"Hallo!" said Vallagnosc, quite surprised, "you said that Madame de -Boves was unwell. But she is standing over there, near that counter, -with Mademoiselle Blanche." - -The count could not help starting back, and casting a side glance at -Madame Guibal. "Dear me! so she is," said he. - -It was very warm in this room. The half stifled customers had pale -faces with glittering eyes. It seemed as if all the seductions of the -shop converged to this supreme temptation, this secluded corner of -perdition where the strongest must succumb. Women plunged their hands -into the overflowing heaps, quivering with intoxication at the contact. - -"I fancy those ladies are ruining you," resumed Vallagnosc, amused by -the meeting. - -Monsieur de Boves assumed the look of a husband who is perfectly sure -of his wife's discretion, from the simple fact that he does not give -her a copper to spend. The countess, after wandering through all the -departments with her daughter, without buying anything, had just -stranded in the lace department in a rage of unsated desire. Overcome -with fatigue, she was leaning against the counter while her clammy -hands dived into a heap of lace whence a warmth rose to her shoulders. -Then suddenly, just as her daughter turned her head and the salesman -went away, it occurred to her to slip a piece of point d'Alençon under -her mantle. But she shuddered, and dropped it, on hearing Vallagnosc -gaily saying: "Ah! we've caught you, madame." - -For several seconds she stood there speechless and very pale. Then she -explained that, feeling much better, she had thought she would take a -stroll. And on noticing that her husband was with Madame Guibal, she -quite recovered herself, and looked at them with such a dignified air -that the other lady felt obliged to say: "I was with Madame Desforges, -these gentlemen just met us." - -As it happened the other ladies came up just at that moment, -accompanied by Mouret who again detained them to point out Jouve, -who was still following the suspicious woman and her lady friend. It -was very curious, said he, they could not form an idea of the number -of thieves arrested in the lace department. Madame de Boves, who was -listening, fancied herself between a couple of gendarmes, with her -forty-five years, her luxury, and her husband's high position; however, -she felt no remorse, but reflected that she ought to have slipped the -lace up her sleeve. Jouve, however, had just decided to lay hold of -the suspicious woman, despairing of catching her in the act, but fully -suspecting that she had filled her pockets, by means of some sleight -of hand which had escaped him. But when he had taken her aside and -searched her, he was wild with confusion at finding nothing on her--not -a cravat, not a button. Her friend had disappeared. All at once he -understood: the woman he had searched had only been there as a blind; -it was the friend who had done the trick. - -This affair amused the ladies. Mouret, rather vexed, merely said: "Old -Jouve has been floored this time but he'll have his revenge." - -"Oh!" replied Vallagnosc, "I don't think he's equal to it. Besides, why -do you display such a quantity of goods? It serves you right, if you -are robbed. You ought not to tempt these poor, defenceless women so." - -This was the last word, which sounded like the supreme note of the day, -in the growing fever that reigned in the establishment. The ladies -separated, crossing the crowded departments for the last time. It -was four o'clock, the rays of the setting sun were darting obliquely -through the large front windows and throwing a cross light on the -glazed roofs of the halls; and in this red, fiery glow arose, like a -golden vapour, the thick dust raised by the circulation of the crowd -since early morning. A broad sheet of light streamed along the grand -central gallery, showing up the staircases, the flying bridges, all -the network of suspended iron. The mosaics and faiences of the friezes -glittered, the green and red paint reflected the fire of the lavish -gilding. The Paradise seemed like a red-hot furnace, in which the -various displays--the palaces of gloves and cravats, the festoons of -ribbons and laces, the lofty piles of linen and calico, the variegated -parterres in which bloomed the light silks and foulards--were now -burning. The exhibition of parasols, of shield-like roundness, threw -forth metallic reflections. In the distance, beyond streaks of shadow, -were counters sparkling and swarming with a throng, ablaze with -sunshine. - -And at this last moment, in this over-heated atmosphere, the women -reigned supreme. They had taken the whole place by storm, they were -camping there as in a conquered country, like an invading horde -installed amidst all the disorder of the goods. The salesmen, deafened -and exhausted, were now nothing but their slaves, of whom they disposed -with sovereign tyranny. Fat women elbowed their way along; even the -thinnest took up a deal of space, and became quite arrogant. They were -all there, with heads erect and gestures abrupt, quite at home, not -showing the slightest politeness to one another but making as much -use of the house as they could, even to the point of carrying away -the dust from its walls. Madame Bourdelais, desirous of making up for -her expenditure had again taken her children to the refreshment bar: -whither the crowd was now rushing with rageful thirst and appetite. -Even the mothers were gorging themselves with Malaga; since the morning -eighty quarts of syrup and seventy bottles of wine had been drunk. -After purchasing her travelling cloak, Madame Desforges had secured -some picture cards at the pay-desk; and she went away scheming how -she might get Denise into her house, so as to humiliate her before -Mouret himself, see their faces and arrive at a conclusion. And whilst -Monsieur de Boves succeeded at last in plunging into the crowd and -disappearing with Madame Guibal, Madame de Boves, followed by Blanche -and Vallagnosc, had the fancy to ask for a red air-ball, although she -had bought nothing. It would always be something, she would not go -away empty-handed, she would make a friend of her doorkeeper's little -girl with it. At the distributing counter they were just starting on -the fortieth thousand: thirty nine thousand red air-balls had already -taken flight in the warm atmosphere of the shop, a perfect cloud of red -air-balls which were now floating from one end of Paris to the other, -bearing upwards to the sky the name of The Ladies' Paradise! - -Five o'clock struck. Of all the ladies, Madame Marty and her daughter -were the only ones to remain, in the final throes of the day's sales. -Although ready to drop with fatigue she could not tear herself away, -being retained by so strong an attraction that although she needed -nothing she continually retraced her steps, scouring the departments -with insatiable curiosity. It was the moment in which the throng, -goaded on by puffery, completely lost its head; the sixty thousand -francs paid to the newspapers, the ten thousand bills posted on the -walls, the two hundred thousand catalogues distributed all over the -world, after emptying the women's purses, left their minds weakened by -intoxication; and they still remained shaken by Mouret's inventions, -the reduction of prices, the "returns," and the endless gallantries. -Madame Marty lingered before the various "proposal" stalls, amidst -the hoarse cries of the salesmen, the clink of the pay-desks, and the -rolling of the parcels sent down to the basement; she again traversed -the ground floor, the linen, silk, glove and woollen departments; she -again went upstairs, yielding to the metallic vibrations of the hanging -staircases and flying-bridges; she returned to the mantle, under-linen, -and lace departments; she even ascended to the second floor, to the -heights of the bedding and furniture galleries; and on all sides the -employees, Hutin and Favier, Mignot and Liénard, Deloche, Pauline and -Denise, nearly dead with fatigue, were making a final effort, snatching -victories from the last fever of the customers. This fever had -gradually increased since the morning, like the intoxication emanating -from all the tumbled stuffs. The crowd flared under the fiery glare of -the five o'clock sun. Madame Marty now had the animated nervous face of -a child after drinking pure wine. Arriving with clear eyes and fresh -skin from the cold of the street, she had slowly burnt both sight and -complexion, by the contemplation of all that luxury, those violent -colours, whose everlasting gallop irritated her passion. When she at -last went away, after saying that she would pay at home, terrified as -she was by the amount of her bill, her features were drawn, and her -eyes dilated like those of a sick person. She was obliged to fight her -way through the stubborn crush at the door, where people were almost -killing each other, amidst the struggle for bargains. Then, when she -got into the street, and again found her daughter, whom she had lost -for a moment, the fresh air made her shiver, and she remained quite -scared, her mind unhinged by the neurosis to which the great drapery -establishments give birth. - -In the evening, as Denise was returning from dinner, a messenger called -her: "You are wanted at the director's office, mademoiselle." - -She had forgotten the order which Mouret had given her in the morning, -to go to his office when the sale was over. She found him standing, -waiting for her. On going in she did not close the door, which remained -wide open. - -"We are very pleased with you, mademoiselle," said he, "and we have -thought of proving our satisfaction. You know in what a shameful manner -Madame Frédéric has left us. From to-morrow you will take her place as -second-hand." - -Denise listened to him motionless with surprise. Then she murmured in -a trembling voice: "But there are saleswomen in the department who are -much my seniors, sir." - -"What does that matter?" he resumed. "You are the most capable, the -most trustworthy. I select you; it's quite natural. Are you not -satisfied?" - -She blushed, feeling a delicious happiness and embarrassment, in which -all her original fright vanished. Why had she, before aught else, -thought of the suppositions with which this unhoped-for favour would be -received? And she remained there full of confusion, despite her sudden -burst of gratitude. With a smile he looked at her in her simple silk -dress, without a single piece of jewellery, displaying only the luxury -of her royal, blonde hair. She had become more refined, her skin was -whiter, her manner delicate and grave. Her former puny insignificance -was developing into a penetrating, gentle charm. - -"You are very kind, sir," she stammered. "I don't know how to tell -you----" - -But she was cut short by the appearance of Lhomme on the threshold. In -his hand he held a large leather bag, and with his mutilated arm he -pressed an enormous note case to his chest; whilst, behind him came his -son Albert weighed down by the load of bags he was carrying. - -"Five hundred and eighty-seven thousand two hundred and ten francs -thirty centimes!" exclaimed the cashier, whose flabby, worn face seemed -to light up with a ray of sunshine, in the reflection of such a huge -sum of money. - -It was the day's receipts, the highest that The Ladies' Paradise had -ever attained. In the distance, in the depths of the shop through which -Lhomme had just slowly passed with the heavy gait of an overladen beast -of burden, you could hear the uproar, the ripple of surprise and joy -which this colossal sum had left behind it as it passed. - -"Why, it's superb!" said Mouret, enchanted. "My good Lhomme, put it -down there, and take a rest, for you look quite done up. I'll have the -money taken to the central cashier's office. Yes, yes, put it all on my -table, I want to see the heap." - -He was full of a childish gaiety. The cashier and his son rid -themselves of their burdens. The leather bag gave out a clear, golden -ring, two of the other bags in bursting let a torrent of silver and -copper escape, whilst from the note-case peeped the corners of bank -notes. One end of the large table was entirely covered; it was like the -tumbling of a fortune picked up in ten hours. - -When Lhomme and Albert had retired, mopping their faces, Mouret -remained for a moment motionless, dreamy, his eyes fixed on the money. -But on raising his head, he perceived Denise, who had drawn back. Then -he began to smile again, forced her to come forward, and finished by -saying that he would make her a present of all the money she could -take in her hand; and there was a sort of love bargain beneath his -playfulness. - -"Look! out of the bag. I bet it would be less than a thousand francs, -your hand is so small!" - -But she drew back again. He loved her, then? Suddenly she understood -everything; she felt the growing flame of desire with which he had -enveloped her ever since her return to the shop. What overcame her more -than anything else was to feel her heart beating violently. Why did he -wound her with the offer of all that money, when she was overflowing -with gratitude? He was stepping nearer to her still, continuing to -joke, when, to his great annoyance, Bourdoncle came in under the -pretence of informing him of the enormous number of entries--no fewer -than seventy thousand customers had entered The Ladies' Paradise that -day. And thereupon Denise hastened off, after again expressing her -thanks. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - -On the first Sunday in August, the stock-taking, which had to be -finished by the evening, took place. Early in the morning all the -employees were at their posts, as on a week-day, and the work began -with closed doors, not a customer was admitted. - -Denise, however, had not come down with the other young ladies at eight -o'clock. Confined to her room since the previous Thursday through -having sprained her ankle whilst on her way up to the work-rooms, she -was now much better; but, as Madame Aurélie treated her indulgently, -she did not hurry down. Still after a deal of trouble she managed to -put her boots on, having resolved that she would show herself in the -department. The young ladies' bed-rooms now occupied the entire fifth -storey of the new buildings in the Rue Monsigny; there were sixty of -them, on either side of a corridor, and they were much more comfortable -than formerly, although still furnished simply with an iron bedstead, -large wardrobe, and little mahogany toilet-table. The private life -of the saleswomen was now becoming more refined and elegant; they -displayed a taste for scented soap and fine linen, quite a natural -ascent towards middle-class ways as their positions improved, although -high words and banging doors were still sometimes heard amidst the -hotel-like gust that carried them away, morning and evening. Denise, -being second-hand in her department, had one of the largest rooms with -two attic windows looking into the street. Being now in much better -circumstances she indulged in sundry little luxuries, a red eider-down -bed quilt, covered with guipure, a small carpet in front of her -wardrobe, a couple of blue-glass vases containing a few fading roses on -her toilet table. - -When she had succeeded in getting her boots on she tried to walk across -the room; but was obliged to lean against the furniture, being still -rather lame. However that would soon come right again, she thought. -At the same time, she had been quite right in refusing an invitation -to dine at uncle Baudu's that evening, and in asking her aunt to take -Pépé out for a walk, for she had placed him with Madame Gras again. -Jean, who had been to see her on the previous day, was also to dine at -his uncle's. She was still slowly trying to walk, resolving, however, -to go to bed early, in order to rest her ankle, when Madame Cabin, the -housekeeper, knocked and gave her a letter, with an air of mystery. - -The door closed. Denise, astonished by the woman's discreet smile, -opened the letter. And at once she dropped on a chair; for it was a -letter from Mouret, in which he expressed himself delighted at her -recovery, and begged her to come down and dine with him that evening, -since she could not go out. The tone of this note, at once familiar and -paternal, was in no way offensive; but it was impossible for her to -mistake its meaning. And thus her white cheeks slowly coloured with a -flush. - -With the letter lying on her lap and her heart beating violently she -remained with her eyes fixed on the blinding light which came in by -one of the windows. There was a confession which she had been obliged -to make to herself in this very room, during her sleepless hours: if -she still trembled when he passed, she now knew that it was not from -fear; and her former uneasiness, her old terror, could have been only -the frightened ignorance of love, the perturbation of passion springing -up amidst her youthful wildness. She did not reason, she simply felt -that she had always loved him, from the hour when she had shuddered -and stammered before him. She had loved him when she had feared him -as a pitiless master; she had loved him when her distracted heart was -dreaming of Hutin, unconsciously yielding to a desire for affection. -Yes, she had never loved any but this man, whose mere look terrified -her. And all her past life came back to her, unfolding itself in the -blinding light from the window: the hardships of her start, that sweet -walk under the dark foliage of the Tuileries Gardens, and, lastly, the -desires with which he had enveloped her ever since her return. The -letter dropped on the floor and Denise was still gazing at the window, -dazzled by the glare of the sun. - -Suddenly there was a knock and she hastened to pick up the missive and -conceal it in her pocket. It was Pauline, who, having slipped away from -her department under some pretext or other, had come up for a little -chat. - -"How are you, my dear? We never meet now----" - -As it was against the rules, however, to go up into the bed-rooms, and, -above all, for two of the saleswomen to be shut in together, Denise -took her friend to the end of the passage, to a saloon which Mouret -had gallantly fitted up for the young ladies, who could spend their -evenings there, chatting or sewing, till eleven o'clock. The apartment, -decorated in white and gold, with the vulgar nudity of an hotel room, -was furnished with a piano, a central table, and some arm-chairs and -sofas protected by white covers. After spending a few evenings together -there in the first novelty of the thing, the saleswomen now never -entered the place without coming to high words at once. They required -educating to it; so far their little circle lacked harmony. Meanwhile, -almost the only girl that went there in the evening was the second-hand -of the corset department, Miss Powell, who strummed away at Chopin on -the piano, and whose envied talents were for much in driving the others -away. - -"You see my ankle's better now," said Denise, "I was just going down." - -"Well!" exclaimed the other, "how zealous you are! I'd take it easy if -I had the chance!" - -They had both sat down on a sofa. Pauline's manner had changed since -her friend had become second-hand in the mantle department. With her -good-natured cordiality there mingled a touch of respect, a sort of -surprise at realizing that the puny little saleswoman of former days -was on the road to fortune. Denise, however, liked her very much, and -amidst the continual gallop of the two hundred women that the firm now -employed, confided in her alone. - -"What's the matter?" asked Pauline, quickly, when she remarked her -companion's troubled looks. - -"Oh! nothing," replied Denise, with an awkward smile. - -"Yes, yes; there's something the matter with you. Have you no faith in -me, that you have given up telling me your worries?" - -Thereupon Denise, in the emotion that was swelling her bosom--an -emotion she could not control--abandoned herself to her feelings. She -gave her friend the letter, stammering: "Look! he has just written to -me." - -Between themselves, they had never openly spoken of Mouret. But this -very silence was like a confession of their secret thoughts. Pauline -knew everything. After having read the letter, she clasped Denise in -her arms, and softly murmured: "My dear, to speak frankly, I thought -it had all happened long ago. Don't be shocked; I assure you the whole -shop must think as I do. You see, he appointed you as second-hand so -quickly, and then he's always looking at you. It's obvious!" She kissed -her affectionately on the cheek and then asked her: "You will go this -evening, of course?" - -Denise looked at her without replying and all at once burst into tears, -letting her head fall on Pauline's shoulder. The latter was quite -astonished. "Come, try and calm yourself; there's nothing to upset you -like this," she said. - -"No, no; let me be," stammered Denise. "If you only knew what trouble I -am in! Since I received that letter, I have felt beside myself. Let me -have a good cry, that will relieve me." - -Full of pity, though not understanding, Pauline endeavoured to console -her, declaring that she must not worry, for it was quite certain that -M. Mouret had ceased to pay any attention to Clara; whilst as for that -other lady friend of his, Madame Desforges, it was probably all but so -much gossip. Denise listened, and had she been ignorant of her love, -she could no longer have doubted it after the suffering she felt at the -allusions to those two women. She could again hear Clara's disagreeable -voice, and see Madame Desforges dragging her about the different -departments with all the scorn of a rich lady for a poor shop-girl. - -Then the two friends went on conversing; and at last Denise in a sudden -impulse exclaimed: "But when a man loves a girl he ought to marry her. -Baugé is going to marry you." - -This was true, Baugé, who had left the Bon Marché for The Ladies' -Paradise, was going to marry her about the middle of the month. -Bourdoncle did not like these married couples; however, they had -managed to get the necessary permission, and even hoped to obtain a -fortnight's holiday for their honeymoon. - -On hearing Denise's remark Pauline laughed heartily. "But, my dear," -said she. "Baugé is going to marry me because he is Baugé. He's my -equal, that's natural. Whereas Monsieur Mouret! Do you think that -Monsieur Mouret could marry one of his saleswomen?" - -"Oh! no, oh! no," exclaimed Denise, shocked by the absurdity of the -question, "and that's why he ought never to have written to me." - -This argument seemed to astonish Pauline. Her coarse face, with small -tender eyes, assumed quite an expression of maternal pity. Then she -got up, opened the piano, and with one finger softly played the air of -"King Dagobert," doubtless to enliven the situation. The noises of the -street, the distant melopœia of a woman crying out green peas, ascended -to the bare saloon, whose emptiness seemed increased by the white -coverings of the furniture. Denise had thrown herself back on the sofa, -her head against the woodwork and shaken by a fresh flood of sobs, -which she stifled in her handkerchief. - -"Again!" resumed Pauline, turning round. "Really you are not -reasonable. Why did you bring me here? We ought to have stopped in your -room." - -She knelt down before her, and had begun lecturing her again, when a -sound of footsteps was heard in the passage. And thereupon she ran to -the door and looked out. - -"Hush! Madame Aurélie!" she murmured. "I'm off, and just you dry your -eyes. She need not know what's up." - -When Denise was alone, she rose, and forced back her tears; and, her -hands still trembling, fearful of being caught there weeping, she -closed the piano, which her friend had left open. However, on hearing -Madame Aurélie knocking at her door, she at once left the drawing-room. - -"What! you are up!" exclaimed the first-hand. "It's very thoughtless of -you, my dear child. I just came up to see how you were, and to tell you -that we did not require you downstairs." - -Denise assured her, however, that she felt much better and that it -would do her good to have some occupation. - -"I shan't tire myself, madame. You can put me on a chair, and I'll do -some writing." - -Both then went downstairs. Madame Aurélie, most attentive, insisted on -Denise leaning on her shoulder. She must have noticed the young girl's -red eyes, for she was stealthily examining her. No doubt she was aware -of much that was going on. - -Denise had gained an unexpected victory: she had at last conquered the -department. Formerly she had struggled on for six months, amidst all -the torments of drudgery, without disarming her comrades' ill-will, but -now in a few weeks she had overcome them, and saw them submissive and -respectful around her. Madame Aurélie's sudden affection had greatly -assisted her in this ungrateful task of propitiating her companions. -Indeed the first-hand had taken the young girl under her protection -with such warmth that the latter must have been recommended to her -in a very special manner. However, Denise had also brought her own -charm into play in order to disarm her enemies. The task was all the -more difficult from the fact that she had to obtain their forgiveness -for her appointment to the situation of second-hand. The other young -ladies spoke of this at first as an injustice, and even added a lot -of abominable accusations. But in spite of their revolt, the title of -second-hand influenced them, and Denise with her promotion assumed -a certain air of authority which astonished and overawed even the -most hostile spirits. Soon afterwards she actually found flatterers -amongst the new hands; and her sweetness and modesty completed the -conquest. Marguerite came over to her side; and Clara was the only -one to continue her ill-natured ways, still venturing to allude to -Denise as the "unkempt one," an insult in which nobody now saw any fun. -During the short time that she had engaged Mouret's attention Clara had -profited by the caprice to neglect her work, being of a wonderfully -idle, gossiping nature unfitted for any responsible duty. Nevertheless -she considered that Denise had robbed her of Madame Frédéric's place. -She would never have accepted it, on account of the worry; but she was -vexed that no attention had been paid to her claims. - -Nine o'clock struck as Denise came down, leaning on Madame Aurélie's -arm. Out of doors an ardent blue sky was warming the streets, cabs -were rolling towards the railway stations, the whole population of -Paris rigged out in Sunday attire was streaming towards the suburban -woods. Inside the Paradise, which the large open bays flooded with -sunshine, the imprisoned staff had just commenced stock-taking. They -had closed the doors and people halted on the pavement, looking through -the windows in astonishment that the shop should be shut when such -extraordinary activity prevailed inside. From one end of the galleries -to the other, from the top to the bottom floor, there was a continual -tramping of employees; arms were ever being raised and parcels were -flying about above their heads; and all this amidst a tempest of shouts -and calling out of figures, ascending in confusion and becoming a -deafening roar. Each of the thirty-nine departments did its work apart, -without troubling about its neighbour. At this early hour the shelves -had hardly been touched, there were only a few bales of goods on the -floors. They must get up a good deal more steam if they were to finish -that evening. - -"Why have you come down?" asked Marguerite of Denise, good-naturedly. -"You'll only make yourself worse, and we are quite numerous enough to -do the work." - -"That's what I told her," declared Madame Aurélie, "but she insisted on -coming down to help us." - -All the young ladies flocked round Denise. The work was even -interrupted for a time. They complimented her, listening with all sorts -of exclamations to the story of her sprained ankle. At last Madame -Aurélie made her sit down at a table; and it was understood that she -should merely write down the articles as they were called out. On such -a day as this they requisitioned all the employees who were capable -of holding a pen: the inspectors, the cashiers, the clerks, even the -shop messengers; and each department annexed some of these assistants -of a day in order to get the work over more quickly. It was thus that -Denise found herself installed near Lhomme the cashier and Joseph the -messenger, both of whom were bending over large sheets of paper. - -"Five mantles, cloth, fur trimming, third size, at two hundred and -forty francs!" called Marguerite. "Four ditto, first size, at two -hundred and twenty!" - -The work once more commenced. Behind Marguerite three saleswomen were -emptying the cupboards, classifying the articles, and giving them to -her in bundles; and, when she had called them out, she threw them on -the table, where they were gradually accumulating in huge piles. Lhomme -jotted down the articles whilst Joseph checked him by keeping another -list. Whilst this was going on, Madame Aurélie herself, assisted by -three other saleswomen, was counting out the silk garments, which -Denise entered on the sheets of paper given to her. Clara on her side -was looking after the heaps, arranging them in such a manner that they -should occupy the least possible space on the tables. But she was -not paying much attention to her work, for many things were already -tumbling down. - -"I say," she asked of a little saleswoman who had joined that winter, -"are they going to give you a rise? You know that the second-hand is to -have two thousand francs, which, with her commission, will bring her in -nearly seven thousand." - -The little saleswoman, without ceasing to pass some cloaks down, -replied that if they didn't give her eight hundred francs she would -take her hook. The rises were always given on the day after the -stock-taking; it was also then, as the amount of business done during -the year became known, that the managers of the departments drew their -commission on the increase of this amount, as compared with that of the -preceding year. Thus, despite the bustle and uproar of the work, the -impassioned gossiping went on everywhere. Between every two articles -that were called out, they talked of nothing but money. The rumour ran -that Madame Aurélie's gains would exceed twenty-five thousand francs; -and this huge sum greatly excited the young ladies. Marguerite, the -best saleswoman after Denise, had for her part made four thousand five -hundred francs, that is fifteen hundred francs salary and about three -thousand francs commission; whilst Clara had not made two thousand five -hundred altogether. - -"I don't care a button for their rises!" she resumed, still talking to -the little saleswoman. "If papa were dead I would jolly soon clear out -of this! Still it exasperates me to see seven thousand francs given to -that strip of a girl! What do you say?" - -Madame Aurélie, turning round with her imperial air, violently -interrupted the conversation. "Be quiet, young ladies! We can't hear -ourselves speak, my word of honour!" - -Then she again went on calling out: "Seven mantles, old style, -Sicilian, first size, at a hundred and thirty! Three pelisses, -surah, second size, at a hundred and fifty! Have you got that down, -Mademoiselle Baudu?" - -"Yes, madame." - -Clara then had to look after the armfuls of garments piled upon the -tables. She pushed them about, and made some more room. But she soon -left them again to reply to a salesman, who was looking for her. -It was the glover, Mignot, who had escaped from his department. He -whispered a request for twenty francs; he already owed her thirty, -a loan effected on the day after some races when he had lost his -week's money on a horse; this time he had squandered his commission, -drawn overnight, and had not ten sous left him for his Sunday. Clara -had only ten francs about her, and she lent them with a fairly good -grace. And they then went on talking of a party of six, which they had -formed part of, at a restaurant at Bougival, where the women had paid -their shares. It was much better to do that, they all felt more at -ease. Next, Mignot, who wanted his twenty francs, went and bent over -Lhomme's shoulder. The latter, stopped in his writing, appeared greatly -troubled. However, he dared not refuse, and was looking for a ten-franc -piece in his purse, when Madame Aurélie, astonished at not hearing the -voice of Marguerite who had been obliged to pause, perceived Mignot, -and understood everything. She roughly sent him back to his department, -saying that she didn't want any one to come and distract her young -ladies' attention from their work. The truth was, she dreaded this -young man, a bosom friend of Albert's, and his accomplice in all sorts -of questionable pranks which she feared would some day turn out badly. -Accordingly, when Mignot had got his ten francs, and run away, she -could not help saying to her husband: "Is it possible! to let a fellow -like that get over you!" - -"But, my dear, I really couldn't refuse the young man." - -She closed his mouth with a shrug of her substantial shoulders. Then, -as the saleswomen were slyly grinning at this family explanation, she -resumed severely: "Now, Mademoiselle Vadon, don't let us go to sleep." - -"Twenty cloaks, cashmere extra, fourth size, at eighteen francs and a -half," resumed Marguerite in her sing-song voice. - -Lhomme, with his head bowed down, again began writing. They had -gradually raised his salary to nine thousand francs a year; but he was -very humble before Madame Aurélie, who still brought nearly three times -as much into the family. - -For a while the work was pushed forward. Figures were bandied -about, garments rained thick and fast on the tables. But Clara had -invented another amusement: she was teasing the messenger, Joseph, -about a passion which he was said to nourish for a young lady in the -pattern-room. This young lady, already twenty-eight years old, and -thin and pale, was a _protégée_ of Madame Desforges, who had wanted -Mouret to engage her as a saleswoman, backing up her recommendation -with a touching story: An orphan, the last of the Fontenailles, an -old and noble family of Poitou, had been thrown on to the streets -of Paris with a drunken father; still she had remained virtuous -amidst this misfortune which was the greater as her education -was altogether too limited to enable her to secure employment as -governess or music-mistress. Mouret generally got angry when any one -recommended these broken-down gentlewomen to him; there were no more -incapable, more insupportable, more narrow-minded creatures than -these gentlewomen, said he; and, besides, a saleswoman could not be -improvised, she must serve an apprenticeship, it was an intricate and -delicate business. However, he took Madame Desforges's _protégée_ -placing her in the pattern-room, in the same way as (to oblige friends) -he had already found places for two countesses and a baroness in the -advertising department, where they addressed wrappers and envelopes. -Mademoiselle de Fontenailles earned three francs a day, which just -enabled her to live in her modest room, in the Rue d'Argenteuil. It was -on seeing her with her sad look and shabby attire, that Joseph's heart, -very tender despite his rough soldierly manner, had been touched. He -did not confess, but blushed, when the young ladies of the mantle -department chaffed him; for the pattern-room was not far off, and they -had often observed him prowling about the doorway. - -"Joseph is somewhat absent-minded," murmured Clara. "His nose is always -turning towards the under-linen department." - -They had requisitioned Mademoiselle de Fontenailles there, and she -was assisting at the trousseau counter. As the messenger continually -glanced in that direction, the saleswomen began to laugh; whereupon he -became very confused, and plunged into his accounts, whilst Marguerite, -in order to arrest the burst of gaiety which was tickling her throat, -cried out louder still: "Fourteen jackets, English cloth, second size, -at fifteen francs!" - -At this, Madame Aurélie, who was calling out some cloaks, could not -make herself heard. She interfered with a wounded air, and a majestic -slowness of manner. "A little softer, mademoiselle. We are not in -a market. And you are all of you very unreasonable, to be amusing -yourselves with such childish matters, when our time is so precious." - -Just at that moment, as Clara was not paying any attention to the -packages, a catastrophe took place. Several mantles tumbled down, and -all the heaps on the tables, carried with them, toppled over one after -the other, so that the carpet was quite strewn with them. - -"There! what did I say!" cried the first-hand, beside herself. "Pray be -more careful, Mademoiselle Prunaire; it's altogether intolerable." - -But a hum ran along: Mouret and Bourdoncle, making their round of -inspection, had just appeared. The voices began calling again and -the pens sputtered, whilst Clara hastened to pick up the garments. -The governor did not interrupt the work. He stood there for several -minutes, mute and smiling, with the gay victorious face of stock-taking -days; and it was only on his lips that a slight feverish quiver -could be detected. When he perceived Denise, he nearly gave way to a -gesture of astonishment. She had come down, then? His eyes met Madame -Aurélie's. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he went away into the -under-linen department. - -However, Denise, warned by the slight noise, had raised her head. -And, having recognised Mouret, she had immediately bent over her work -again. Since she had been writing in this mechanical way, amidst the -calling-out of the goods, a peaceful feeling had stolen over her. She -had always yielded thus to the first outburst of her sensitiveness: -tears suffocated her, and passion increased her torments: but then -she regained her self-command, a grand, calm courage, a quiet but -inexorable strength of will. And now, with her limpid eyes, and pale -complexion, she was free from all agitation, entirely absorbed in her -work, resolved to silence her heart and to do nothing but her will. - -Ten o'clock struck, the uproar of the stock-taking was increasing; and -amidst the incessant shouts which rose and flew about on all sides the -same news circulated with surprising rapidity: every salesman knew -that Mouret had written that morning inviting Denise to dinner. The -indiscretion came from Pauline. On going downstairs, still greatly -excited, she had met Deloche in the lace department, and, without -noticing that Liénard was talking to the young man, had immediately -relieved her mind of the secret. "It's all over, my dear fellow. She's -just received a letter. He has invited her to dinner for this evening." - -Deloche turned very pale. He had understood, for he often questioned -Pauline; each day they spoke of their common friend, and Mouret's -passion for her. Moreover, she frequently scolded him for his secret -love for Denise, with whom he would never succeed, and shrugged her -shoulders when he expressed his approval of the girl's conduct with -reference to their employer. - -"Her foot's better, she's coming down," continued Pauline. "Pray don't -put on that funeral face. There's no reason to cry." And thereupon she -hastened back to her department. - -"Ah! good!" murmured Liénard, who had heard everything, "you're talking -about the young girl with the sprain. You were quite right to make -haste in defending her last night at the café!" - -Then he also ran off; but before he had returned to the woollen -department, he had already related the story to four or five fellows. -In less than ten minutes, it had gone the round of the whole shop. - -Liénard's last remark to Deloche referred to a scene which had occurred -on the previous evening, at the Café Saint-Roch. Deloche and he were -now constantly together. The former had taken Hutin's room at the Hôtel -de Smyrne, when that gentleman, on being appointed second-hand, had -hired a suite of three rooms; and the two salesmen came to The Ladies' -Paradise together in the morning, and waited for each other in the -evening in order to go away together. Their rooms, which adjoined one -another, overlooked a black yard, a narrow well, the stench from which -pervaded the hotel. They got on very well together, notwithstanding -their difference of character, the one carelessly squandering the money -which he drew from his father, and the other penniless, perpetually -tormented by ideas of thrift; both having, however, one point in -common, their unskilfulness as salesmen, which kept them vegetating at -their counters, without any increase of salary. After leaving the shop, -they spent the greater part of their time at the Café Saint-Roch. Void -of customers during the day, this café filled at about half-past eight -with an overflowing crowd of employees, the stream of shopmen which -rolled into the street from the great doorway in the Place Gaillon. -Then a deafening uproar of dominoes, laughter and yelping voices burst -forth amidst dense tobacco smoke. Beer and coffee were in great demand. -Seated in the left-hand corner, Liénard would order the most expensive -beverages, whilst Deloche contented himself with a glass of beer, which -he would take four hours to drink. It was here that the latter had -heard Favier relating, at a neighbouring table, some abominable things -about the way in which Denise had "hooked" the governor. He had with -difficulty restrained himself from striking him. However, as the other -went on adding still viler and viler stories of the girl, he had at -last called him a liar, feeling mad with rage. - -"What a blackguard!" he had shouted. "It's a lie, it's a lie, I tell -you!" And in the emotion agitating him, he had added a confession, -entirely opening his heart in a stammering voice. "I know her, and it -isn't true. She has never had any affection except for one man; yes, -for Monsieur Hutin, and even he has never noticed it!" - -The report of this quarrel, exaggerated and distorted, was already -affording amusement to the whole shop when the story of Mouret's letter -ran round. In fact, it was to a salesman in the silk department that -Liénard first confided the news. With the silk-vendors the stock-taking -was going on rapidly. Favier and two shopmen, mounted on stools, were -emptying the shelves and passing the pieces of stuff to Hutin who, -standing on a table, called out the figures, after consulting the -tickets; and he then dropped the pieces on to the floor over which -they spread, rising slowly like an autumn tide. Other employees were -writing, Albert Lhomme being among the helpers, his face pale and heavy -after a night spent in a low show at La Chapelle. A sheet of light -fell from the glazed roof of the hall, through which could be seen the -intense blue of the sky. - -"Draw those blinds!" cried out Bouthemont who was very busy -superintending the work. "That sun is unbearable!" - -Favier, on tiptoe, trying to reach a piece of silk, then grumbled under -his breath: "A nice thing to shut people up on a lovely day like this! -No fear of it raining on stock-taking day! And they keep us under lock -and key, like convicts, when all Paris is out of doors!" - -He passed the silk to Hutin. On the ticket was the measurement, -diminished at each sale by the quantity sold; which greatly simplified -the work. The second-hand cried out: "Fancy silk, small check, -twenty-one yards, at six francs and a half." - -And then the piece went to increase the heap already on the floor. -Whilst waiting for another he resumed a conversation previously begun, -by saying to Favier: "So he wanted to fight you?" - -"Yes, I was quietly drinking my glass of beer. It was hardly worth his -while to contradict me, for she has just received a letter from the -governor inviting her to dinner. The whole shop is talking about it." - -"What! hadn't she dined with him before!" - -Favier handed him another piece of silk. - -"No, it seems not; though my opinion was all the other way." - -The whole department was now joking about the affair, without, however, -allowing the work to suffer. The young girl's name passed from mouth -to mouth and the salesmen arched their backs and winked. Bouthemont -himself, who took a rare delight in all such stories, could not help -adding his joke. Just then, however, Mignot came down, with the twenty -francs which he had just borrowed, and he stopped to slip ten francs -into Albert's hand, making an appointment with him for the evening: -a projected spree, hampered by lack of money, but still possible, -notwithstanding the smallness of the sum secured. However, when Mignot -heard about the famous letter, he made such an abominable remark, that -Bouthemont was obliged to interfere. "That's enough, gentlemen. It -isn't any of our business. Go on, Monsieur Hutin." - -"Fancy silk, small check, thirty-two yards, at six francs and a half," -cried out the latter. - -The pens started off again, the pieces fell; the flood of material -still increased, as if the water of a river had emptied itself there. -And there was no end to the calling out of the fancy silks. Favier, -in an undertone thereupon remarked that the stock in hand would form -a nice total; the governors would be enchanted; that big fool of a -Bouthemont might be the best buyer in Paris, but as a salesman he was -not worth his salt. Hutin smiled, delighted, and giving the other -a friendly look of approval; for after having himself introduced -Bouthemont to The Ladies' Paradise, in order to get rid of Robineau, he -was now undermining him also, with the firm intention of depriving him -of his berth. It was the same war as formerly--treacherous insinuations -whispered in the partners' ears, excessive zeal to push one's self -forward, a regular campaign carried on with affable cunning. Hutin was -again displaying some condescension towards Favier, but the latter, -thin and frigid with a bilious look, gave him a sly glance as if to -count how many mouthfuls this short, little fellow would make, and -to imply that he was waiting till he had swallowed up Bouthemont, in -order to eat him afterwards. He, Favier, hoped to get the second-hand's -place, should his friend be appointed manager. And after that they -would see. Consumed by the fever which was raging from one to the other -end of the shop, both of them began talking of the probable increases -of salary, without however ceasing to call out the stock of fancy -silks; they felt sure that Bouthemont would secure thirty thousand -francs that year; Hutin for his part would exceed ten thousand whilst -Favier estimated his pay and commission at five thousand five hundred. -The amount of business in the department was increasing yearly, the -salesmen secured promotion and increase of pay, like officers in time -of war. - -"Won't those fancy silks soon be finished?" asked Bouthemont suddenly, -with an expression of annoyance. "But it was a miserable spring, always -raining! People bought nothing but black silks." - -His fat, jovial face became cloudy as he gazed at the growing heap -on the floor, whilst Hutin called out louder still, in a sonorous -voice tinged with an accent of triumph--"Fancy silks, small check, -twenty-eight yards, at six francs and a half." - -There was still another shelf-full. Favier whose arms were getting -tired, was now progressing but slowly. As he handed Hutin the last -pieces he resumed in a low tone--"Oh! I say, I forgot. Have you heard -that the second-hand in the mantle department once had a regular fancy -for you?" - -Hutin seemed greatly surprised. "What! How do you mean?" - -"Yes, that great booby Deloche let it out to us. But I remember her -casting sheep's eyes at you some time back." - -Since his appointment as second-hand Hutin had thrown up his music-hall -singers. Flattered at heart by Favier's words he nevertheless replied -with a scornful air, "I don't care for such scraggy creatures." And -then he called out: - -"White Poult, thirty-five yards, at eight francs seventy-five." - -"Oh! at last!" murmured Bouthemont, greatly relieved. - -But a bell rang, that for the second table, to which Favier belonged. -He jumped off the stool where another salesman took his place, and -he was obliged to climb over the mountain of materials with which -the floor was littered. Similar heaps were scattered about in every -department; the shelves, the boxes, the cupboards were being gradually -emptied, whilst the goods overflowed on all sides, under-foot, between -the counters and the tables, in ever rising piles. In the linen -department you heard heavy bales of calico falling; in the mercery -department there was a clicking of boxes; whilst distant rumbling -sounds came from amongst the furniture. Every sort of voice was heard -too, shrill, full, deep, and husky, figures whizzed through the air and -a rustling clamour reigned in the immense nave--the clamour of forests -in January when the wind whistles through the branches. - -Favier at last got clear and went up the dining-room staircase. Since -the enlargement of The Ladies' Paradise the refectories had been -shifted to the fourth storey of the new buildings. As he hurried up he -overtook Deloche and Liénard who had gone on before him, so he fell -back on Mignot who was following at his heels. - -"The deuce!" said he, in the corridor leading to the kitchen, on -reaching the black-board on which the bill of fare was inscribed, "you -can see it's stock-taking day. A regular feast! Chicken, or leg of -mutton, and artichokes! Their mutton won't be much of a success!" - -Mignot sniggered, murmuring, "Is there a poultry epidemic on, then?" - -However, Deloche and Liénard had taken their portions and gone away. -Favier thereupon leant over the wicket and called out--"Chicken!" - -But he had to wait; one of the kitchen helps had cut his finger in -carving, and this caused some confusion. Favier stood there with -his face to the opening, gazing into the kitchen with its giant -appliances. There was a central range, over which, by a system of -chains and pullies, a couple of rails fixed to the ceiling brought -colossal cauldrons which four men could not have lifted. Several -cooks, quite white in the ruddy glow of the cast-iron, were attending -to the evening soup mounted on metal ladders and armed with skimmers -fixed to long handles. Then against the wall were grills large enough -for the roasting of martyrs, saucepans big enough for the stewing of -entire sheep, a monumental plate-warmer, and a marble basin filled by -a continual stream of water. To the left could be seen a scullery with -stone sinks as large as ponds; whilst on the other side, to the right, -was a huge meat-safe, where a glimpse was caught of numerous joints of -red meat hanging from steel hooks. A machine for peeling potatoes was -working with the tic-tac of a mill; and two small trucks laden with -freshly-picked salad were being wheeled by some kitchen helps into a -cool spot under a gigantic filter. - -"Chicken," repeated Favier, getting impatient. Then, turning round, he -added in a lower tone, "One fellow has cut himself. It's disgusting, -his blood's running over the food." - -Mignot wanted to see. Quite a string of shopmen had now arrived; there -was a deal of laughing and pushing. The two young men, their heads at -the wicket, exchanged remarks about this phalansterian kitchen, in -which the least important utensils, even the spits and larding pins, -assumed gigantic proportions. Two thousand luncheons and two thousand -dinners had to be served, and the number of employees was increasing -every week. It was quite an abyss, into which something like forty-five -bushels of potatoes, one hundred and twenty pounds of butter, and -sixteen hundred pounds of meat were cast every day; and at each meal -they had to broach three casks of wine, over a hundred and fifty -gallons being served out at the wine counter. - -"Ah! at last!" murmured Favier when the cook reappeared with a large -pan, out of which he handed him the leg of a fowl. - -"Chicken," said Mignot behind him. - -And with their plates in their hands they both entered the refectory, -after taking their wine at the "bar;" whilst behind them the word -"Chicken" was repeated without cessation, and one could hear the cook -picking up the portions with his fork with a rapid rhythmical sound. - -The men's dining-room was now an immense apartment, supplying ample -room for five hundred people at each repast. The places were laid at -long mahogany tables, placed parallel across the room, and at either -end were similar tables reserved for the managers of departments and -the inspectors; whilst in the centre was a counter for the "extras." -Right and left large windows admitted a white light to the gallery, -whose ceiling, although over twelve feet from the floor, seemed very -low, owing to the development of the other proportions. The sole -ornaments on the walls, painted a light yellow, were the napkin -cupboards. Beyond this first refectory came that of the messengers and -carmen, where the meals were served irregularly, according to the needs -of the moment. - -"What! you've got a leg as well, Mignot?" said Favier, as he took his -place at one of the tables opposite his companion. - -Other young men now sat down around them. There was no tablecloth, the -plates clattered on the bare mahogany, and in this particular corner -everybody was raising exclamations, for the number of legs distributed -was really prodigious. - -"These chickens are all legs!" remarked Mignot. - -"Yes, they're real centipedes," retorted another salesman. - -Those who had merely secured pieces of carcase were greatly -discontented. However, the food had been of much better quality since -the late improvements. Mouret no longer treated with a contractor at -a fixed rate; he had taken the kitchen into his own hands, organizing -it like one of the departments, with a head-cook, under-cooks and an -inspector; and if he spent more money he got on the other hand more -work out of the staff--a practical humanitarian calculation which had -long terrified Bourdoncle. - -"Mine is pretty tender, all the same," said Mignot. "Pass the bread!" - -The big loaf was sent round, and after cutting a slice for himself -he dug the knife into the crust. A few dilatory ones now hurried in, -taking their places; a ferocious appetite, increased by the morning's -work, burst forth from one to the other end of the immense tables. -There was an increasing clatter of forks, a gurgling sound of bottles -being emptied, a noise of glasses laid down too violently amidst the -grinding rumble of five hundred pairs of powerful jaws chewing with -wondrous energy. And the talk, still infrequent, seemed to be hampered -by the fullness of the mouths. - -Deloche, however, seated between Baugé and Liénard, found himself -nearly opposite Favier. They had glanced at each other with a rancorous -look. Some neighbours, aware of their quarrel on the previous day, -began whispering together. Then there was a laugh at poor Deloche's -ill-luck. Although always famished he invariably fell on the worst -piece at table, by a sort of cruel fatality. This time he had come in -for the neck of a chicken and some bits of carcase. Without saying -a word, however, he let them joke away, swallowing large mouthfuls -of bread, and picking the neck with the infinite art of a fellow who -entertains great respect for meat. - -"Why don't you complain?" asked Baugé. - -But he shrugged his shoulders. What would be the use of that? It was -always the same. When he did venture to complain things went worse than -ever. - -"You know the Bobbinards have got their club now?" said Mignot, all at -once. "Yes, my boy, the 'Bobbin Club.' It's held at a wine shop in the -Rue Saint-Honoré, where they hire a room on Saturdays." - -He was speaking of the mercery salesmen. The whole table began to joke. -Between two mouthfuls, with his voice still thick, each made some -remark, adding a detail; and only the obstinate readers remained mute, -with their noses buried in their newspapers. It could not be denied -that shopmen were gradually assuming a better style; nearly half of -them now spoke English or German. It was no longer considered good form -to go and kick up a row at Bullier or prowl about the music-halls for -the pleasure of hissing ugly singers. No; a score of them got together -and formed a club. - -"Have they a piano like the linen-men?" asked Liénard. - -"I should rather think they had!" exclaimed Mignot. "And they play, my -boy, and sing! There's even one of them, little Bavoux, who recites -verses." - -The gaiety redoubled and they chaffed little Bavoux; nevertheless -beneath their laughter lay a great respect. Then they spoke of a piece -at the Vaudeville, in which a counter-jumper played a nasty part, -which annoyed several of them, whilst others began anxiously wondering -at what time they would get away that evening, having invitations to -pass the evening at friends' houses. And from all points came similar -conversations amidst an increasing rattle of crockery. To drive -away the odour of the food--the warm steam which rose from the five -hundred plates--they had opened the windows, whose lowered blinds -were scorching in the heavy August sun. Burning gusts came in from -the street, golden reflections yellowed the ceiling, steeping the -perspiring eaters in a reddish light. - -"A nice thing to shut people up on such a fine Sunday as this!" -repeated Favier. - -This remark brought them back to the stock-taking. It had been -a splendid year. And they went on to speak of the salaries--the -rises--the eternal subject, the stirring question which occupied -them all. It was always thus on chicken days; a wonderful excitement -declared itself, the noise at last became unbearable. When the waiters -brought the artichokes you could not hear yourself speak. However, the -inspector on duty had orders to be indulgent. - -"By the way," cried Favier, "you've heard the news?" - -But his voice was drowned by Mignot asking: "Who doesn't like -artichoke; I'll sell my dessert for an artichoke." - -No one replied. Everybody liked artichoke. That lunch would be counted -amongst the good ones, for peaches were to be given for dessert. - -"He has invited her to dinner, my dear fellow," said Favier to his -right-hand neighbour, finishing his story. "What! you didn't know it?" - -The whole table knew it, they were tired of talking about it since -early morning. And the same poor jokes passed from mouth to mouth. -Deloche was quivering again, and his eyes at last rested on Favier, -who was persisting in his shameful remarks. But all at once the silk -salesman ducked his head, for Deloche, yielding to an irresistible -impulse, had thrown his last glass of wine into his face, stammering: -"Take that, you infernal liar! I ought to have drenched you yesterday!" - -This caused quite a scandal. A few drops had spurted on Favier's -neighbours, whilst he himself only had his hair slightly wetted: the -wine, thrown by an awkward hand, had fallen on the other side of the -table. However, the others got angry, asking Deloche if the girl was -his property that he defended her in this way? What a brute he was! -he deserved a good drubbing to teach him better manners. However, -their voices fell, for an inspector was observed coming along, and it -was useless to let the management interfere in the quarrel. Favier -contented himself with saying: "If it had caught me, you would have -seen some sport!" - -Then the affair wound up in jeers. When Deloche, still trembling, -wished to drink by way of hiding his confusion, and mechanically caught -hold of his empty glass, they all burst out laughing. He laid his glass -down again awkwardly enough and commenced sucking the leaves of the -artichoke which he had already eaten. - -"Pass Deloche the water bottle," said Mignot, quietly; "he's thirsty." - -The laughter increased. The young men took clean plates from the piles -standing at equal distances on the table whilst the waiters handed -round the dessert, which consisted of peaches, in baskets. And they -all held their sides when Mignot added, with a grin: "Each man to his -taste. Deloche takes wine with his peaches." - -Deloche, however, sat motionless, with his head hanging down, as if -deaf to the joking going on around him: he was full of despairing -regret at thought of what he had just done. Those fellows were -right--what right had he to defend her? They would now think all sorts -of villainous things: he could have killed himself for having thus -compromised her, in attempting to prove her innocence. Such was always -his luck, he might just as well kill himself at once, for he could not -even yield to the promptings of his heart without doing some stupid -thing. And then tears came into his eyes. Was it not also his fault -if the whole shop was talking of the letter written by the governor? -He heard them grinning and making abominable remarks about this -invitation, which Liénard alone had been informed of, and he reproached -himself, he ought never to have let Pauline speak before that fellow; -he was really responsible for the annoying indiscretion which had been -committed. - -"Why did you go and relate that?" he murmured at last in a sorrowful -voice. "It's very wrong." - -"I?" replied Liénard; "but I only told it to one or two persons, -enjoining secrecy. One never knows how these things get about!" - -When Deloche made up his mind to drink a glass of water everybody burst -out laughing again. They had finished their meal and were lolling back -on their chairs waiting for the bell to recall them to work. They had -not asked for many extras at the great central counter, especially as -on stock-taking day the firm treated them to coffee. The cups were -steaming, perspiring faces shone under the light vapour, floating -like bluey clouds from cigarettes. At the windows the blinds hung -motionless, without the slightest flapping. One of them, on being drawn -up, admitted a ray of sunshine which sped across the room and gilded -the ceiling. The uproar of the voices beat upon the walls with such -force that the bell was at first only heard by those at the tables -near the door. Then they got up and for some time the corridors were -full of the confusion of the departure. Deloche, however, remained -behind to escape the malicious remarks that were still being made. -Baugé even went out before him, and Baugé was, as a rule, the last to -leave, taking a circuitous route so as to meet Pauline on he way to the -ladies' dining-room; a manœuvre they had arranged between them--the -only chance they had of seeing one another for a minute during business -hours. That day, however, just as they were indulging in a loving kiss -in a corner of the passage they were surprised by Denise, who was also -going up to lunch. She was walking slowly on account of her foot. - -"Oh! my dear," stammered Pauline, very red, "don't say anything, will -you?" - -Baugé, with his big limbs and giant stature, was trembling like a -little boy. He muttered, "They'd precious soon pitch us out. Although -our marriage may be announced, they don't allow any kissing, the -brutes!" - -Denise, greatly agitated, affected not to have seen them: and Baugé -disappeared just as Deloche, also going the longest way round, in his -turn appeared. He wished to apologize, stammering out phrases that -Denise did not at first catch. Then, as he blamed Pauline for having -spoken before Liénard, and she stood there looking very embarrassed, -Denise at last understood the meaning of the whispers she had heard -around her all the morning. It was the story of the letter circulating. -And again was she shaken by the shiver with which this letter had -agitated her. - -"But I didn't know," repeated Pauline. "Besides, there's nothing bad in -the letter. Let them gossip; they're jealous, of course!" - -"My dear," said Denise at last, with her sensible air, "I don't blame -you in any way! You've spoken nothing but the truth. I _have_ received -a letter, and it is my duty to answer it." - -Deloche went off heart-broken, in the belief that the girl accepted the -situation and would keep the appointment that evening. When the two -saleswomen had lunched in a small room, adjoining the larger one where -the women were served much more comfortably, Pauline had to assist -Denise downstairs again as her sprain was getting more painful. - -In the afternoon warmth below, the stock-taking was roaring more loudly -than ever. The moment for the supreme effort had arrived, when, as the -work had not made much progress during the morning, everybody put forth -their strength in order that all might be finished that night. The -voices grew louder still, you saw nothing but waving arms continually -emptying the shelves and throwing the goods down; and it was impossible -to get along for the tide of the bales and packages on the floor rose -as high as the counters. A sea of heads, brandished fists, and flying -limbs seemed to extend to the very depths of the departments, with -the confused aspect of a distant riot. It was the last fever of the -clearing, the machine seemed ready to burst; and past the plate-glass -windows all round the closed shop there still went a few pedestrians, -pale with the stifling boredom of a summer Sunday. On the pavement -in the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin three tall girls, bareheaded and -sluttish-looking, were impudently pressing their faces against the -windows, trying to see the curious work going on inside. - -When Denise returned to the mantle department Madame Aurélie told -Marguerite to finish calling out the garments. There was still the -checking to be done, and for this, being desirous of silence, she -retired into the pattern-room, taking Denise with her. - -"Come with me, we'll do the checking;" she said, "and then you can add -up the figures." - -However, as she wished to leave the door open, in order to keep an -eye on her young ladies, the noise came in, and they could not hear -themselves much better even in this pattern-room--a large, square -apartment furnished merely with some chairs and three long tables. In -one corner were the great machine knives, for cutting up the patterns. -Entire pieces of stuff were consumed; every year they sent away more -than sixty thousand francs' worth of material, cut up in strips. From -morning to night, the knives were cutting silk, wool, and linen, with -a scythe-like noise. Then, too, the books had to be got together, -gummed or sewn. And between the two windows, there was also a little -printing-press for the tickets. - -"Not so loud, please!" cried Madame Aurélie every now and again, quite -unable as she was to hear Denise reading out the articles. - -Then, the checking of the first lists being completed, she left the -young girl at one of the tables, absorbed in the adding-up; but came -back almost immediately, and placed Mademoiselle de Fontenailles -near her. The under-linen department not requiring Madame Desforges' -_protégée_ any longer, had placed her at her disposal. She could also -do some adding-up, it would save time. But the appearance of the -marchioness, as Clara ill-naturedly called the poor creature, had -disturbed the department. They laughed and joked at poor Joseph, and -their ferocious sallies were wafted into the pattern-room. - -"Don't draw back, you are not at all in my way," said Denise, seized -with pity. "My inkstand will suffice, we'll dip together." - -Mademoiselle de Fontenailles, brutified by her unfortunate position, -could not even find a word of gratitude. She looked like a woman who -drank, her meagre face had a livid hue, and her hands alone, white and -delicate, attested the distinction of her birth. - -However, the laughter all at once ceased, and the work resumed its -regular roar. Mouret was once more going through the departments. But -he stopped and looked round for Denise, surprised at not seeing her -there. Then he made a sign to Madame Aurélie; and both drew aside, and -for a moment talked in a low tone. He must have been questioning her. -She nodded towards the pattern-room and then seemed to be making a -report. No doubt she was relating that the young girl had been weeping -that morning. - -"Very good!" said Mouret, aloud, coming nearer. "Show me the lists." - -"This way, sir," said the first-hand. "We have run away from the noise." - -He followed her into the next room. Clara was not duped by this -manœuvre, but Marguerite threw her the garments at a quicker rate, -in order to take up her attention and close her mouth. Wasn't the -second-hand a good comrade? Her affairs did not concern them. The -whole department was now aiding and abetting the intrigue, the young -ladies grew more agitated than ever, Lhomme and Joseph affected not -to see or hear anything. And inspector Jouve, who, in passing by, had -remarked Madame Aurélie's tactics, began walking up and down before the -pattern-room door, with the regular step of a sentry guarding the will -and pleasure of a superior. - -"Give Monsieur Mouret the lists," said the first-hand. - -Denise handed them over, and sat there with her eyes raised. She had -started slightly, but had promptly conquered herself, and retained a -fine calm look, although her cheeks were pale. For a moment, Mouret -appeared to be absorbed in the lists of articles, never giving the girl -a glance. A silence reigned, then Madame Aurélie all at once stepped up -to Mademoiselle de Fontenailles, who had not even turned her head, and, -apparently dissatisfied with her counting, said to her in an undertone: - -"Go and help with the parcels. You are not used to figures." - -Mademoiselle de Fontenailles got up, and returned to the department, -where she was greeted with whispering. Joseph, under the laughing eyes -of these young minxes, was writing anyhow. Clara though delighted to -have an assistant nevertheless treated her very roughly, hating her as -she hated all the women in the shop. What an idiotic thing to yield to -the love of a workman, when you were a marchioness! And yet she envied -the poor creature this love. - -"Very good!" repeated Mouret, still pretending to read. - -However, Madame Aurélie hardly knew how to get away in her turn in a -decent fashion. She turned about, went to look at the machine knives, -furious with her husband for not inventing a pretext for calling her. -But then he was never of any use in serious matters, he would have died -of thirst close to a pond. It was Marguerite who proved intelligent -enough to go and ask the first-hand a question. - -"I'm coming," replied the latter. - -And her dignity now being saved, having a pretext to join the young -ladies who were watching her, she at last left Denise and Mouret alone -together, coming out of the pattern-room with a majestic step and so -noble an air, that the saleswomen did not even dare to smile. - -Mouret had slowly laid the lists on the table, and stood looking at -Denise, who had remained seated, pen in hand. She did not avert her -gaze, but she had merely turned paler. - -"You will come this evening?" asked he. - -"No, sir, I cannot. My brothers are to be at my uncle's to-night, and I -have promised to dine with them." - -"But your foot! You walk with such difficulty." - -"Oh, I can get so far very well. I feel much better since the morning." - -In his turn he had turned pale on hearing this quiet refusal. A nervous -revolt made his lips quiver. However, he restrained himself, and with -the air of a good-natured master simply interesting himself in one of -his young ladies resumed: "Come now, if I begged of you--You know what -great esteem I have for you." - -Denise retained her respectful attitude. "I am deeply touched, sir, by -your kindness to me, and thank you for this invitation. But I repeat, I -cannot; my brothers expect me this evening." - -She persisted in not understanding. The door remained open, and she -felt that the whole shop was urging her on to ruin. Pauline had -amicably called her a great simpleton; the others would laugh at her -if she refused the invitation; Madame Aurélie, who had gone away, -Marguerite, whose rising voice she could hear, Lhomme, whom she could -espy, sitting motionless and discreet, all these people were wishing -for her fall. And the distant roar of the stock-taking, the millions of -goods enumerated on all sides and thrown about in every direction, were -like a warm breeze wafting the breath of passion towards her. There -was a silence. Now and again, Mouret's voice was drowned by the noisy -accompaniment, the formidable uproar of a kingly fortune gained in -battle. - -"When will you come, then?" he asked again. "To-morrow?" - -This simple question troubled Denise. She lost her calmness for a -moment, and stammered: "I don't know--I can't----" - -He smiled, and tried to take her hand, which she withheld. "What are -you afraid of?" he asked. - -But she quickly raised her head, looked him straight in the face, and -smiling, with her sweet, brave look replied: "I am afraid of nothing, -sir. I can do as I like, can I not? I don't wish to, that's all!" - -As she finished speaking, she was surprised to hear a creaking noise, -and on turning round saw the door slowly closing. It was inspector -Jouve, who had taken upon himself to pull it to. The doors were a part -of his duty, none ought ever to remain open. And he gravely resumed his -position as sentinel. No one appeared to have noticed that this door -was being closed in such a simple manner. Clara alone risked a strong -remark in the ear of Mademoiselle de Fontenailles, but the latter's -face remained expressionless. - -Denise, however, had risen. Mouret was saying to her in a low and -trembling voice: "Listen, Denise, I love you. You have long known it, -pray don't be so cruel as to play the ignorant. I love you, Denise!" -She was standing there very pale, listening to him and still looking -straight into his face. "Tell me," he went on. "Why do you refuse? Have -you no wants? Your brothers are a heavy burden. Anything you might ask -of me, anything you might require of me----" - -But with a word, she stopped him: "Thanks, I now earn more than I need." - -"But it's perfect liberty that I am offering you, an existence of -pleasure and luxury. I will set you up in a home of your own. I will -assure you a little fortune." - -"No, thanks; I should soon get tired of doing nothing. I earned my own -living before I was ten years old." - -He made a wild gesture. This was the first one who did not yield. With -the others he had merely had to stoop. His passion, long restrained, -goaded on by resistance, became stronger than ever, and he pressed her -more and more urgently. - -But without faltering she each time replied "No--no." - -Then at last he let this heart-cry escape him: "But don't you see that -I am suffering! Yes, it's stupid, but I am suffering like a child!" - -Tears came into his eyes. A fresh silence reigned. They could still -hear the softened roar of the stock-taking behind the closed door. It -was like a dying note of triumph, the accompaniment subsided into a -lower key in presence of this defeat of the master. - -"And yet if I liked----" he said in an ardent voice, seizing her hands. - -She left them in his, her eyes turned pale, her whole strength was -deserting her. A warmth came from this man's burning grasp, filling her -with a delicious cowardice. Good heavens! how she loved him, and with -what delight she could have hung on his neck and remained there! - -But in his passionate excitement he grew brutal. She set up a low -cry; the pain she felt at her wrists restored her courage. With an -angry shake she freed herself. Then, very stiff, looking taller in her -weakness: "No, leave me alone! I am not a Clara, to be thrown over in a -day. Besides, you love another; yes, that lady who comes here. I do not -accept half an affection!" - -He remained motionless with surprise. What was she saying, and what did -she want? The other girls had never asked to be loved. He ought to have -laughed at such an idea; yet this attitude of tender pride completely -conquered his heart. - -"Now, sir, please open the door," she resumed. "It is not proper that -we should be shut up together in this way." - -He obeyed; and with his temples throbbing, hardly knowing how to -conceal his anguish, he recalled Madame Aurélie, and broke out -angrily about the stock of cloaks, saying that the prices must be -lowered, until every one had been got rid of. Such was the rule of -the house--a clean sweep was made every year, they sold at sixty per -cent. loss rather than keep an old pattern or any stale material. -At that moment, Bourdoncle, seeking Mouret, was waiting for him -outside, having been stopped before the closed door by Jouve, who had -whispered a word in his ear with a grave air. He got very impatient, -without however, summoning up sufficient courage to interrupt the -governor's _tête-à-tête_. Was it possible? on such a day too, and with -that creature! And when Mouret at last came out Bourdoncle spoke to -him about the fancy silks, of which the stock left on hand would be -something enormous This was a relief for Mouret, as it gave him an -opportunity for shouting. What the devil was Bouthemont thinking about? -He went off declaring that he could not allow a buyer to display such -lack of sense as to buy beyond the requirements of the business. - -"What is the matter with him?" murmured Madame Aurélie, quite overcome -by his reproaches; while the young ladies looked at each other in -surprise. - -At six o'clock the stock-taking was finished. The sun was still -shining--a fair summer sun, whose golden reflections streamed through -the glazed roofs of the halls. In the heavy air of the streets, tired -families were already returning from the suburbs laden with bouquets -and dragging their children along. One by one, the departments had -become silent. In the depths of the galleries you now only heard the -lingering calls of a few men clearing a last shelf. Then even these -voices ceased, and of all the bustle of the day there only remained a -quivering vibration, above the formidable piles of goods. The shelves, -cupboards, boxes, and band-boxes, were now empty: not a yard of -stuff, not an object of any sort had remained in its place. The vast -establishment displayed but the carcase of its usual appearance, the -woodwork was absolutely bare, as on the day of taking possession. This -bareness was the visible proof of the complete, exact taking of the -stock. And on the floor was sixteen million francs' worth of goods, a -rising sea, which had finished by submerging the tables and counters. -However, the shopmen, surrounded to the shoulders, began to put each -article back into its place. They expected to finish by about ten -o'clock. - -When Madame Aurélie, who went to the first dinner, came back from the -dining-room, she announced the amount of business done during the year, -which the totals of the various departments had just enabled one to -arrive at. The figure was eighty million francs, ten millions more than -the previous year. The only real decrease had been on the fancy silks. - -"If Monsieur Mouret is not satisfied, I should like to know what more -he wants," added the first-hand. "See! he's fuming over there, at the -top of the grand staircase." - -The young ladies went to look at him. He was standing alone, with a -sombre countenance, above the millions scattered at his feet. - -"Madame," said Denise, at this moment, "would you kindly let me go away -now? I can't do anything more on account of my foot, and as I am to -dine at my uncle's with my brothers----" - -They were all astonished. She had not yielded, then! Madame Aurélie -hesitated, and speaking in a sharp and disagreeable voice, seemed -inclined to forbid her going out; whilst Clara shrugged her shoulders, -full of incredulity. When Pauline learnt the news, she was in the -baby-linen department with Deloche, and the sudden joy exhibited by the -young man made her very angry. As for Bourdoncle, who did not dare to -approach Mouret in his savage isolation, he marched up and down amidst -these rumours, in despair also, and full of anxiety. However, Denise -went down. As she slowly reached the bottom of the left-hand staircase, -leaning on the banister, she came upon a group of grinning salesmen. -Her name was pronounced, and she realized that they were talking about -her adventure. They had not noticed her descent. - -"Oh! all that's put on, you know," Favier was saying. "She's full of -vice! Yes, I know some one whom she set her eyes on." - -And thereupon he glanced at Hutin, who, in order to preserve his -dignity as second-hand, was standing a short distance away without -joining in their conversation. However, he was so flattered by the -envious air with which the others contemplated him, that he deigned to -murmur: "She was a regular nuisance to me, was that girl!" - -Denise, wounded to the heart, clung to the banister. They must have -seen her, for they all disappeared, laughing. He was right, she -thought, and she reproached herself for her former ignorance, when -she had been wont to think of him. But what a coward he was, and how -she scorned him now! A great trouble had come upon her; was it not -strange that she should have found the strength just now to repulse -a man whom she adored, when she had felt herself so feeble in bygone -days before that worthless fellow, whom she had only dreamed of? Her -sense of reason and her bravery foundered in these contradictions of -her being, which she could not clearly read. Then she hastened to cross -the hall but a sort of instinct prompted her to raise her head, whilst -an inspector was opening the door, closed since the morning. And still -at the top of the stairs, on the great central landing dominating the -gallery, she perceived Mouret. He had quite forgotten the stock-taking, -he no longer beheld his empire, that building bursting with riches. -Everything had disappeared, his former uproarious victories, his future -colossal fortune. With a desponding look he was watching Denise and -when she had crossed the threshold everything disappeared, a darkness -came over the house. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - -That day, Bouthemont was the first to arrive at Madame Desforges's four -o'clock tea. Waiting alone in her large Louis XVI. drawing-room, the -brasses and brocatel of which shone with a clear gaiety, she rose with -an air of impatience, saying, "Well?" - -"Well," replied the young man, "when I told him that I should no doubt -call on you he formally promised me to come." - -"You made him thoroughly understand that I expected the baron to-day?" - -"Certainly. That's what appeared to decide him." - -They were speaking of Mouret, who, the year before, had suddenly -taken such a liking to Bouthemont that he had admitted him to share -his pleasures; and had even introduced him to Henriette, glad to have -an agreeable fellow always at hand to enliven an acquaintanceship of -which he was getting tired. It was thus that Bouthemont had ultimately -become the confidant of his employer and the handsome widow; he did -their little errands, talked of the one to the other, and sometimes -reconciled them. Henriette, in her jealous fits, displayed a -familiarity which sometimes surprised and embarrassed him, for she was -losing the prudence of a woman of the world who employed all her art to -save appearances. - -"You ought to have brought him," she exclaimed violently. "I should -have been sure then." - -"Well," said he, with a good-natured laugh, "it isn't my fault if he -escapes so frequently now. Oh! he's very fond of me, all the same. Were -it not for him I should be in a bad way at the shop." - -His situation at The Ladies' Paradise had really been menaced since -the last stock-taking. It was in vain that he talked of the rainy -season, they could not overlook the considerable stock of fancy silks -left on hand; and as Hutin was improving the occasion--undermining him -with the governors with an increase of sly ferocity--he could feel the -ground giving way beneath him. Mouret had condemned him, weary already, -no doubt, of this witness who prevented him from breaking off with -Henriette and tired of an acquaintanceship which yielded no profit. -But, in accordance with his usual tactics, he was pushing Bourdoncle -forward: it was Bourdoncle and the other partners who insisted on -Bouthemont's dismissal at each board meeting; whilst he according to -his own account resisted then, defending his friend energetically, at -the risk even of getting into serious trouble with the others. - -"Well, I shall wait," resumed Madame Desforges. "You know that the girl -is to be here at five o'clock. I want to see them face to face. I must -discover their secret." - -And thereupon she reverted to her long-meditated plan, mentioning in -her agitation that she had requested Madame Aurélie to send her Denise -to look at a mantle which fitted badly. When she should once have got -the young girl in her room, she would find some reason for calling -Mouret, and would then act. Bouthemont, who had sat down opposite to -her, was gazing at her with his handsome laughing eyes, which he was -endeavouring to keep serious. This jovial fellow, with coal-black -beard, this dissipated blade whose warm Gascon blood empurpled his -cheeks, was thinking that fine ladies were not of much account after -all, and let out a nice lot of things when they ventured to open their -hearts. - -"Come," he made bold to say at last, "what can that matter to you since -I assure you that there is nothing whatever between them?" - -"Just so!" she cried, "it's because he loves her! I don't care a fig -for the others, the chance acquaintances, the friends of a day!" - -She spoke of Clara with disdain. She was well aware that Mouret, after -Denise's rejection, had fallen back on that tall, red-haired girl, with -the horse's head: and he had done this doubtless by calculation; for he -maintained her in the department, loading her with presents. Moreover -for the last three months he had been leading a terribly dissipated -life, squandering his money in costly and stupid caprices, with a -prodigality which caused many remarks. - -"It's that creature's fault," repeated Henriette. "I feel sure he's -ruining himself with others because she repulses him. Besides, what's -his money to me? I should have preferred him poor. You know how fond I -am of him, you who have become our friend." - -She stopped short, half choking, ready to burst into tears; and, in her -emotion, she held out her hands to him. It was true, she adored Mouret -for his youth and his triumphs, never before had any man thus conquered -her; but, at the thought of losing him, she also heard the knell of her -fortieth year, and asked herself with terror how she should replace -this great affection. - -"I'll have my revenge," she murmured, "I'll have my revenge, if he -behaves badly!" - -Bouthemont continued to hold her hands in his. She was still handsome. -But hers would be a troublesome acquaintance to keep up and he did not -care for that style of woman. The matter, however, deserved thinking -over; perhaps it would be worth his while to risk some annoyance. - -"Why don't you set up on your own account?" she asked all at once, -drawing her hands away. - -For a moment he was astonished. Then he replied: "But it would require -an immense sum. Last year I had such an idea in my head. I feel -convinced that there are enough customers in Paris for one or two -more big shops; but the district would have to be well chosen. The -Bon Marché holds the left side of the river; the Louvre occupies the -centre of the city; we monopolize, at The Paradise, the rich west-end -district. There remains the north, where one might start a rival -establishment to the Place Clichy. And I had discovered a splendid -position, near the Opera House----" - -"Well, why not?" she asked. - -He set up a noisy laugh. "Just fancy," he replied, "I was stupid enough -to go and talk to my father about it. Yes, I was simple enough to ask -him to find me some shareholders at Toulouse." - -And he gaily described the anger of the old man who remained buried -in his little country shop, full of rage against the great Parisian -bazaars. Bursting at the thought of the thirty thousand francs a year -which his son earned, he had replied that he would sooner give his -money and that of his friends to the hospitals than contribute a copper -to one of those great establishments which were the pests of trade. - -"Besides," the young man concluded, "it would require millions." - -"Suppose they were found?" observed Madame Desforges, quietly. - -He looked at her, becoming serious all at once. Was not this merely a -jealous woman's remark? However, she did not give him time to question -her, but added: "In short, you know what a great interest I take in -you. We'll talk about it again." - -The outer bell had just rung. She got up, and he, himself, drew back -his chair with an instinctive movement, as if some one might have -surprised them. Silence reigned in the drawing-room with its gay -hangings, and decorated with such a profusion of green plants that -there was like a small wood between the two windows. Henriette stood -waiting, with her ear towards the door. - -"It is he," she murmured. - -The footman announced Monsieur Mouret and Monsieur de Vallagnosc. -Henriette could not restrain a movement of anger. Why had he not come -alone? He must have gone for his friend, fearful of a _tête-à-tête_ -with her. However, she smiled and shook hands with both men. - -"What a stranger you are becoming! I say the same for you, Monsieur de -Vallagnosc." - -Her great grief was that she was getting stout, and she now squeezed -herself into the tightest fitting black silk dresses, in order to -conceal her increasing corpulency. Yet her pretty head, with its dark -hair, preserved its pleasing shapeliness. And Mouret could familiarly -tell her, as he enveloped her with a look: "It's useless to ask after -your health. You are as fresh as a rose." - -"Oh! I'm almost too well," she replied. "Besides, I might have died; -you would have known nothing about it." - -She was examining him also, and thought that he looked tired and -nervous, his eyes heavy, his complexion livid. - -"Well," she resumed, in a tone which she endeavoured to render -agreeable, "I cannot return your compliment; you don't look at all well -this evening." - -"Overwork!" remarked Vallagnosc. - -Mouret shrugged his shoulders, without replying. He had just caught -sight of Bouthemont, and nodded to him in a friendly way. During their -closer intimacy he himself had been wont to take him away from the -department, and bring him to Henriette's during the busiest moments -of the afternoon. But times had changed; and he now said to him in an -undertone: - -"You went away very early. They noticed your departure, and are furious -about it." - -He referred to Bourdoncle and the other persons who had an interest in -the business, as if he were not himself the master. - -"Ah!" murmured Bouthemont, anxiously. - -"Yes, I want to talk to you. Wait for me, we'll leave together." - -Henriette had now sat down again; and, while listening to Vallagnosc, -who was announcing that Madame de Boves would probably pay her a -visit, she did not take her eyes off Mouret. The latter, again silent, -gazed at the furniture, and seemed to be looking for something on the -ceiling. Then, as she laughingly complained that she now only had -gentlemen at her four o'clock tea, he so far forgot himself as to blurt -out: - -"I expected to find Baron Hartmann here." - -Henriette turned pale. No doubt she well knew that he merely came to -her house to meet the baron; still he might have avoided throwing his -indifference in her face like that. At that moment the door had opened -and the footman was standing behind her. When she had interrogated him -by a sign, the servant leant over and said in a very low tone: - -"It's for that mantle. Madame wished me to let her know. The young -woman is there." - -Henriette at once raised her voice, so as to be heard; and all her -jealous suffering found relief in these scornfully harsh words: "She -can wait!" - -"Shall I show her into madame's dressing-room?" asked the servant. - -"No, no. Let her stay in the ante-room!" - -And, when the servant had gone, she quietly resumed her conversation -with Vallagnosc. Mouret, who had relapsed into his former lassitude, -had listened in an absent-minded way, without understanding, while -Bouthemont, worried by the adventure, remained buried in thought. -Almost at that moment, however, the door was opened again, and two -ladies were shown in. - -"Just fancy," said Madame Marty, "I was alighting at the door, when I -saw Madame de Boves coming along under the arcade." - -"Yes," explained the latter, "it's a fine day, and my doctor says I -must take walking exercise." - -Then, after a general hand-shaking, she inquired of Henriette: "So -you're engaging a new maid?" - -"No," replied the other, astonished. "Why?" - -"Because I've just seen a young woman in the ante-room." - -Henriette interrupted her, laughing. "It's true; all those shop-girls -look like ladies' maids, don't they? Yes, it's a young person come to -alter a mantle." - -Mouret gazed at her intently, a suspicion flashing across his mind. But -she went on with a forced gaiety, explaining that she had bought the -mantle in question at The Ladies' Paradise during the previous week. - -"What!" asked Madame Marty, "have you deserted Sauveur, then?" - -"No, my dear, but I wished to make an experiment. Besides, I was pretty -well satisfied with a first purchase I made--a travelling cloak. But -this time it has not succeeded at all. You may say what you like, one -is horribly rigged out in the big shops. I speak out plainly, even -before Monsieur Mouret. He will never know how to dress a woman who is -in the least degree stylish." - -Mouret did not defend his establishment, but still kept his eyes on -her, consoling himself with the thought that she would never have dared -to do what he had suspected. And it was Bouthemont who had to plead the -cause of The Ladies' Paradise. - -"If all the aristocratic ladies who patronize us were to proclaim -it," he retorted gaily, "you would be astonished by the names of our -customers. Order a garment to measure at our place, it will equal one -from Sauveur's and cost you but half the money. But there, just because -it's cheaper, it's not so good." - -"So it doesn't fit, the mantle you speak of?" resumed Madame de -Boves. "Ah! now I remember the young person. It's rather dark in your -ante-room." - -"Yes," added Madame Marty, "I was wondering where I had seen that -figure before. Well! go, my dear, don't stand on ceremony with us." - -Henriette assumed a look of disdainful unconcern. "Oh, presently, there -is no hurry." - -Then the ladies continued the discussion on the garments sold at the -large establishments; and afterwards Madame de Boves spoke of her -husband, who, said she, had gone to inspect the stud-farm at Saint-Lô; -while at the same time Henriette related that, owing to the illness of -an aunt, Madame Guibal had been suddenly called into Franche-Comté. -Moreover, she did not reckon that day on seeing Madame Bourdelais -either, for at the end of every month the latter shut herself up -with a needlewoman to look over her young people's clothes. Madame -Marty, meantime, seemed agitated by some secret trouble. Her husband's -position at the Lycée Bonaparte was menaced, in consequence of the -lessons which the poor man gave in certain private establishments where -a regular trade was carried on in B.A. diplomas; he now feverishly -earned money wherever he could, in order to meet the rage for spending -which was pillaging his household; and his wife, on seeing him weeping -one evening from fear of dismissal, had conceived the idea of asking -her friend Henriette to speak to a director at the Ministry of Public -Instruction with whom she was acquainted. Henriette finished by -quieting her with a few words. Monsieur Marty, however, was coming -himself that afternoon to learn his fate and thank her. - -"You look unwell, Monsieur Mouret," all at once observed Madame de -Boves. - -"Overwork!" repeated Vallagnosc, with ironic apathy. - -Mouret quickly rose as if ashamed of forgetting himself in this -fashion. He took his accustomed place in the midst of the ladies, and -recovered all his agreeable manners. He was now busy with the winter -novelties, and spoke of a considerable arrival of lace, whereupon -Madame de Boves questioned him as to the price of Alençon point: she -felt inclined to buy some. She was, however, now obliged to be sparing -of even thirty sous for a cab fare and would return home quite ill from -the effects of stopping before the displays in the shop windows. Draped -in a mantle which was already two years old, she tried, in imagination, -on her queenly shoulders all the most expensive garments she saw; -and it was as though they had been torn from off her when she awoke -and found herself still wearing her patched-up dresses, without the -slightest hope of ever satisfying her passion. - -"Baron Hartmann," now announced the footman. - -Henriette observed with what pleasure Mouret shook hands with the new -arrival. The latter bowed to the ladies, and glanced at the young man -with that subtle expression which sometimes illumined his big Alsatian -face. - -"Always plunged in dress!" he murmured, with a smile; and like a friend -of the house, he ventured to add: "There's a charming young person in -the ante-room. Who is she?" - -"Oh! nobody," replied Madame Desforges, in her ill-natured voice. "Only -a shop-girl waiting to see me." - -The door had remained half-open as the servant was bringing in the tea. -He went out, came in again, placed the china service on the table and -then brought some plates of sandwiches and biscuits. In the spacious -room, a bright light, softened by the green plants, illumined the -brass-work, and bathed the silk hangings in a tender glow; and each -time the door opened one could perceive a dim corner of the ante-room, -which was only lighted by two ground-glass windows. There, in the -gloom, appeared a sombre form, motionless and patient. Denise was -standing; there was indeed a leather-covered bench there, but a feeling -of pride prevented her from sitting down on it. She felt the insult -intended her. She had been there for the last half-hour, without a -sign, without a word. The ladies and the baron had taken stock of her -in passing; she could now just hear the voices from the drawing-room; -all the pleasant luxury wounded her with its indifference; and still -she did not move. Suddenly, however, through the half-open doorway, she -perceived Mouret; and he, on his side, had at last guessed it to be her. - -"Is it one of your saleswomen?" asked Baron Hartmann. - -Mouret had succeeded in concealing his great distress of mind; still -his voice trembled somewhat with emotion: "No doubt; but I don't know -which." - -"It's the little fair girl from the mantle department," replied Madame -Marty, obligingly, "the second-hand, I believe." - -Henriette looked at Mouret in her turn. - -"Ah!" said he, simply. - -And then he tried to change the conversation, speaking of the fêtes -that were being given to the King of Prussia who had arrived in Paris -the day before. But the baron maliciously reverted to the young ladies -in the big establishments. He pretended to be desirous of gaining -information, and put several questions: Where did they come from -in general? Was their conduct as bad as it was said to be? Quite a -discussion ensued. - -"Really," he repeated, "you think them well-behaved?" - -Mouret defended their conduct with a conviction which made Vallagnosc -smile. Bouthemont then interfered, to save his chief. Of course, there -were some of all sorts, bad and good, though they were all improving. -Formerly they had secured nothing but the refuse of the trade; a poor, -doubtful class of girls who had drifted into the drapery business; -whereas now respectable families in the Rue de Sèvres positively -brought up their daughters for the Bon Marché. In short, when they -liked to conduct themselves well, they could; for they were not, like -the work-girls of Paris, obliged to board and lodge themselves; they -had bed and board given them, their existence, though an extremely hard -one, no doubt, was at all events provided for. The worst was their -neutral, ill-defined position, something between the shopwoman and -the lady. Thrown into the midst of luxury, often without any primary -instruction, they formed a nameless class apart from all others. Their -misfortunes and vices sprang from that. - -"For myself," said Madame de Boves, "I don't know any creatures who are -more disagreeable. Really, one could slap them at times." - -And then the ladies vented their spite. Quite a battle was waged at the -shop-counters, where woman was pitted against woman in a sharp rivalry -of wealth and beauty. There was the sullen jealousy of the saleswomen -towards the well-dressed customers, the ladies whose manners they tried -to imitate, and there was a still stronger feeling on the part of the -poorly-dressed customers, those of the lower middle-class, against the -saleswomen, those girls arrayed in silk, from whom they would have -liked to exact a servant's humility even in the serving of a half franc -purchase. - -"Don't speak of them," said Henriette, by way of conclusion, "they are -a wretched lot as worthless as the goods they sell!" - -Mouret had the strength to smile. The baron was looking at him, so -touched by his graceful command over himself that he changed the -conversation, returning to the fêtes that were being given to the -King of Prussia: they would be superb, said he, the whole trade of -Paris would profit by them. Henriette meanwhile remained silent and -thoughtful, divided between the desire to let Denise remain forgotten -in the ante-room, and the fear that Mouret, now aware of her presence, -might go away. At last she rose from her chair. - -"You will allow me?" said she. - -"Certainly, my dear!" replied Madame Marty. "I will do the honours of -the house for you." - -She got up, took the teapot, and filled the cups. Henriette turned -towards Baron Hartmann, saying: "You will stay a few minutes, won't -you?" - -"Yes; I want to speak to Monsieur Mouret. We are going to invade your -little drawing-room." - -She went out, and her black silk dress, in rustling against the door, -made a noise like that of a snake wriggling through brushwood. The -baron at once manœuvred to carry Mouret off, leaving the ladies to -Bouthemont and Vallagnosc. Then they stood talking before the window -of the other room in a low tone. A fresh affair was in question. -For a long time past Mouret had cherished a desire to realize his -former project, the invasion of the whole block of building from -the Rue Monsigny to the Rue de la Michodière and from the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin to the Rue du Dix-Décembre, by The Ladies' -Paradise. Of this enormous square there still remained a large plot -of ground fronting the last named street, which he had not acquired; -and this sufficed to spoil his triumph, he was tormented by a desire -to complete his conquest, to erect there a sort of apotheosis, a -monumental façade. As long as his principal entrance should remain in -the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, in a dark street of olden Paris, his work -would be incomplete, deficient in logic. He wished to set it up face to -face with new Paris, in one of those modern avenues through which the -busy multitude of the end of the nineteenth century passed in the full -glare of the sunlight. He could imagine it dominating, imposing itself -as the giant palace of commerce, casting even a greater shadow over -the city than the old Louvre itself. But hitherto he had been baulked -by the obstinacy of the Crédit Immobilier, which still clung to its -first idea of building a rival establishment to the Grand Hôtel on the -site in question. The plans were ready, they were only waiting for the -clearing of the Rue du Dix-Décembre to begin digging the foundations. -At last, however, by a supreme effort, Mouret had almost convinced -Baron Hartmann. - -"Well!" the latter began, "we had a board-meeting yesterday, and I came -to-day, thinking I should meet you, and wishing to keep you informed. -They still resist." - -The young man allowed a nervous gesture to escape him. "But it's -ridiculous. What do they say?" - -"Dear me! they say what I have said to you myself, and what I am still -inclined to think. Your façade is only an ornament, the new buildings -would only increase the area of your establishment by about a tenth, -and it would be throwing away immense sums on a mere advertisement." - -At this, Mouret burst out. "An advertisement! an advertisement! In any -case this one would be in stone, and outlive all of us. Just consider -that it would increase our business tenfold! We should see our money -back in two years. How can ground be lost if it returns you an enormous -interest! You will see what crowds we shall have when our customers are -no longer obliged to struggle through the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, -but can pass freely down a thoroughfare broad enough for six carriages -abreast." - -"No doubt," replied the baron, laughing. "But you are a poet in your -way, let me tell you once more. These gentlemen think it would be -dangerous for you to extend your business further. They want to be -prudent for you." - -"How! prudent? I no longer understand. Don't the figures show the -constant increase in our sales? At first, with a capital of five -hundred thousand francs, I did business to the extent of two millions, -turning over the capital four times every year. It then became four -million francs, which, turned over ten times, produced business to the -extent of forty millions. In short, after successive increases, I have -just learnt, from the last stock-taking, that the business done now -amounts to a total of eighty millions; the capital, which has only been -slightly increased--for it does not exceed six millions--has passed -over our counters, in the form of goods sold, more than twelve times in -the year!" - -He raised his voice and tapped the fingers of his right hand on the -palm of his left, knocking down those millions as he might have cracked -nuts. The baron interrupted him. "I know, I know. But you don't hope to -keep on increasing in this way, do you?" - -"Why not?" asked Mouret, ingenuously. "There's no reason why it -should stop. The capital can be turned over as many as fifteen times, -I predicted as much long ago. In certain departments it can even be -turned over twenty-five or thirty times. And after? well! after, we'll -find a means of turning it over still more." - -"So you'll finish by swallowing up all the money in Paris, as you'd -swallow a glass of water?" - -"Most decidedly. Doesn't Paris belong to the women, and don't the women -belong to us?" - -The baron laid his hands on Mouret's shoulders, looking at him with a -paternal air. "Listen, you're a fine fellow, and I like you. There's -no resisting you. We'll go into the matter seriously, and I hope to -make them listen to reason. So far, we are perfectly satisfied with -you. Your dividends astonish the Bourse. You must be right; it will -be better to put more money into your business, than to risk this -competition with the Grand Hôtel, which is hazardous." - -Mouret's excitement at once subsided and he thanked the baron, but -without any of his usual enthusiasm; and the other saw him turn his -eyes towards the door of the next room, again a prey to the secret -anxiety which he was concealing. Meanwhile Vallagnosc had come up, on -seeing that they had finished talking business. He stood close to them, -listening to the baron, who, with the air of an old man who had seen -life, was muttering: "I say, I fancy they're taking their revenge." - -"Who?" asked Mouret in embarrassment. - -"Why, the women. They're getting tired of belonging to you, and you now -belong to them, my dear fellow: it's only just!" - -Then he joked him, well aware as he was of the young man's notorious -love affairs. The enormous sums squandered by Mouret in costly and -stupid caprices, amused him as an excuse for the follies which he had -formerly committed himself. His old experience rejoiced to think that -men had in no wise changed. - -"Really, I don't understand you," repeated Mouret. - -"Oh! you understand well enough," answered the baron. "They always get -the last word. In fact, I thought to myself: It isn't possible, he's -boasting, he can't be so strong as that! And now there you are! So -though you obtain all you can from woman and work her as you would a -coal mine, it's simply in order that she may work you afterwards, and -force you to refund! And take care, for she'll draw more money from you -than you have ever drawn from her." - -He laughed louder still, and Vallagnosc standing by also began to grin, -without, however, saying a word. - -"Dear me! one must have a taste of everything," confessed Mouret, -pretending to laugh as well. "Money is worthless, if it isn't spent." - -"As for that, I agree with you," resumed the baron. "Enjoy yourself, my -dear fellow. I'll not be the one to preach to you, or to tremble for -the great interests we have confided to your care. Every one must sow -his wild oats, and his head is generally clearer afterwards. Besides, -there's nothing unpleasant in ruining one's self when one feels capable -of building up another fortune. But if money is nothing, there are -certain sufferings----" - -He stopped and his smile became sad; former sufferings doubtless -returned to his mind amid the irony of his scepticism. He had watched -the duel between Henriette and Mouret with the curiosity of a man who -still felt greatly interested in other people's love battles; and he -divined that the crisis had arrived, he guessed the pending drama, -being well acquainted with the story of that girl Denise whom he had -seen in the ante-room. - -"Oh! as for suffering, that's not in my line," said Mouret, in a tone -of bravado. "It's quite enough to have to pay." - -The baron looked at him for a moment without speaking. And not wishing -to insist on the subject he added, slowly--"Don't make yourself out to -be worse than you are! You'll lose something else besides your money. -Yes, you'll lose a part of yourself, my dear fellow." - -Then he broke off again, laughing, to ask: "That often happens, does it -not, Monsieur de Vallagnosc?" - -"So they say, baron," the latter merely replied. - -Just at this moment the door opened. Mouret, who was about to answer -in his turn, started slightly, and both he and his companions turned -round. It was Madame Desforges who, looking very gay, had put her head -through the doorway to call, in a hurried voice--"Monsieur Mouret! -Monsieur Mouret!" And then perceiving the others, she added, "Oh! -you'll excuse me, won't you, gentlemen? I'm going to take Monsieur -Mouret away for a minute. The least he can do, as he has sold me such -a frightful mantle, is to give me the benefit of his experience. This -girl is a stupid thing without an idea in her head. Come, come! I'm -waiting for you." - -He hesitated, undecided, flinching from the scene he could foresee. -However, he had to obey. - -"Go, my dear fellow, go, madame wants you," the baron said to him, with -his air at once paternal and mocking. - -Thereupon Mouret followed her. The door closed, and he thought he could -hear Vallagnosc's laugh, muffled by the hangings. His courage was -entirely exhausted. Since Henriette had quitted the drawing-room, and -he had known Denise to be there in jealous hands, he had experienced a -growing anxiety, a nervous torment, which made him listen from time to -time, as if suddenly startled by a distant sound of weeping. What could -that woman invent to torture her? And all his love, that love which -surprised him even now, went forth to the girl like a support and a -consolation. Never before had he loved like this, found such a powerful -charm in suffering. His former affections, his love for Henriette -herself--so delicate, so handsome, so flattering to his pride--had -never been more than agreeable pastimes; whereas nowadays his heart -beat with anguish, his life was taken, he could no longer even enjoy -the forgetfulness of sleep. Denise was ever in his thoughts. Even at -this moment she was the sole object of his anxiety, and he was telling -himself that he preferred to be there to protect her, notwithstanding -his fear of some regrettable scene with the one he was following. - -At first, they both crossed the bed-room, silent and empty. Then -Madame Desforges, pushing open a door, entered the dressing-room, with -Mouret behind her. It was a rather large room, hung with red silk and -furnished with a marble toilet table and a large wardrobe with three -compartments and great glass doors. As the window overlooked the -court-yard, it was already rather dark, and the two nickel-plated gas -burners on either side of the wardrobe had been lighted. - -"Now, let's see," said Henriette, "perhaps we shall get on better." - -On entering, Mouret had found Denise standing upright, in the middle -of the bright light. She was very pale, modestly dressed in a cashmere -jacket, with a black hat on her head; and she was holding the mantle -purchased at The Ladies' Paradise. When she saw the young man her hands -slightly trembled. - -"I wish Monsieur Mouret to judge," resumed Henriette. "Just help me, -mademoiselle." - -Then Denise, approaching, had to give her the mantle. She had already -placed some pins on the shoulders, the part that did not fit. Henriette -turned round to look at herself in the glass. - -"Is it possible? Speak frankly," said she. - -"It really is a failure, madame," replied Mouret, to cut the matter -short. "It's very simple; the young lady will take your measure, and we -will make you another." - -"No, I want this one, I want it immediately," she resumed with -vivacity. "But it's too narrow across the chest, and it forms a ruck -at the back between the shoulders." Then, in her sharpest voice, she -added: "It's no use for you to stand looking at me, mademoiselle, that -won't make it any better! Try and find a remedy. It's your business." - -Denise again commenced to place the pins, without saying a word. This -went on for some time: she had to pass from one shoulder to the other, -and was even obliged to go almost on her knees, in order to pull the -mantle down in front. Above her, placing herself entirely in her hands, -was Madame Desforges, imparting to her face the harsh expression of a -mistress exceedingly difficult to please. Delighted to lower the young -girl to this servant's work, she gave her curt orders, watching the -while for the least sign of suffering on Mouret's face. - -"Put a pin here! No! not there, here, near the sleeve. You don't seem -to understand! That isn't it, there's the ruck showing again. Take -care, you're pricking me now!" - -Twice again did Mouret vainly attempt to interfere, in order to put -an end to this scene. His heart was beating violently from this -humiliation of his love; and he loved Denise more than ever, with -a deep tenderness, in presence of her admirably silent and patient -demeanour. If the girl's hands still trembled somewhat, at being -treated in this way before his face, she nevertheless accepted the -necessities of her position with the proud resignation of one who was -courageous. When Madame Desforges found they were not likely to betray -themselves, she tried another device: she began to smile on Mouret, -treating him openly as a lover. The pins having run short, she said to -him: - -"Look, my dear, in the ivory box on the dressing-table. Really! it's -empty? Well, kindly look on the chimney-piece in the bed-room; you -know, just beside the looking-glass." - -She spoke as if he were quite at home there, and knew where to find -everything. And when he came back with a few pins, she took them one by -one, and forced him to remain near her, looking at him the while and -speaking low: "I don't fancy I'm hump-backed, eh? Give me your hand, -feel my shoulders, just to please me. Am I really made like that?" - -Denise slowly raised her eyes, paler than ever, and in silence set -about placing the pins. Mouret could only see her heavy blonde tresses, -twisted at the back of her delicate neck; but by the slight tremor -which was raising them, he could imagine the uneasiness and shame of -her face. Hereafter she would most certainly repulse him, and send -him back to this woman who did not conceal her affection even before -strangers. Brutal thoughts came into his head, he could have struck -Henriette. How was he to stop her talk? How tell Denise that he adored -her, that she alone existed for him at this moment, and that he was -ready to sacrifice for her all his former caprices of a day? The worst -of women would not have indulged in the equivocal familiarities of this -well-born lady. At last he withdrew his hand, saying: - -"You are wrong in being so obstinate, madame, since I myself consider -the garment to be a failure." - -One of the gas jets was hissing; and in the stuffy, moist air of the -room, nothing else was heard but that ardent sibilant breath. On the -red silk hangings the glass-doors of the wardrobe cast broad sheets -of vivid light in which the shadows of the two women played. A bottle -containing some essence of verbena, which had been left uncorked -inadvertently, emitted a vague expiring odour of fading flowers. - -"There, madame, that is all I can do," at last said Denise, rising up. - -She felt thoroughly worn out. Twice had she run the pins into her -fingers, as if blind, her eyes clouded. Was he in the plot? Had he -sent for her, to avenge himself for her refusal by showing her that -other women had affection for him? This thought chilled her; she could -not remember having ever stood in need of so much courage, not even -during the terrible hours of her life when she had lacked bread. It was -comparatively nothing to be humiliated in this way, but to see him so -unconstrained with that other woman was dreadful. Henriette looked at -herself in the glass, and once more burst into harsh words. - -"What nonsense, mademoiselle! It fits worse than ever. Just see how -tight it is across the chest. I look like a wet nurse!" - -Denise, losing all patience thereupon made a rather unfortunate remark: -"You are rather stout, madame. We cannot make you thinner than you are." - -"Stout! stout!" exclaimed Henriette, turning pale in her turn. "You're -becoming insolent now, mademoiselle. Really, I should advise you to -criticize others!" - -They both stood looking at one another, face to face, and trembling. -There was now neither lady nor shop-girl left. They were simply two -women, made equal by their rivalry. The one had violently taken off the -mantle and cast it on a chair, whilst the other was throwing on the -dressing-table the few pins still remaining in her hands. - -"What astonishes me," resumed Henriette, "is that Monsieur Mouret -should tolerate such insolence. I thought, sir, that you were more -particular about your employees." - -Denise had again recovered her brave, calm manner. "If Monsieur Mouret -keeps me in his employ," she gently replied, "it's because he has no -fault to find. I am ready to apologize to you, if he desires it." - -Mouret was listening, excited by this quarrel but unable to find a -word to put a stop to it. He had a great horror of these explanations -between women, whose asperity clashed with his perpetual desire for -grace and refinement. Henriette was seeking to compel him to say -something in condemnation of the girl; and, as he still remained mute -and undecided, she stung him with a final insult: - -"Very good, sir. It seems that I must suffer the insolence of your -mistresses in my own house even! A creature you've picked out of some -gutter!" - -Two big tears gushed from Denise's eyes. She had been keeping them -back for some time past; but beneath this last insult her whole being -succumbed. And when he saw her weeping like that with a silent, -despairing dignity, never making the slightest attempt at retaliation, -Mouret no longer hesitated; his heart went forth to her full of immense -affection. He took her hands in his and stammered: "Go away quickly, my -child, and forget this house!" - -Henriette, perfectly amazed, choking with anger, stood looking at them. - -"Wait a minute," he continued, folding up the mantle himself, "take -this garment away. Madame will purchase another one elsewhere. And pray -don't cry any more. You know how greatly I esteem you." - -He went with her to the door, which he closed behind her. She had not -said a word; but a pink flame had coloured her cheeks, whilst her eyes -moistened with fresh tears, tears of a delicious sweetness. Henriette, -who was suffocating, had taken out her handkerchief and was crushing -her lips with it. This was a total overthrow of her calculations; she -herself had been caught in the trap she had laid. She was mortified -with herself for having carried matters too far, and bitterly tortured -by jealousy. To be abandoned for such a creature as that! To see -herself disdained before her! Her pride suffered even more than her -affection. - -"So, it's that girl you love?" she said painfully, when they were alone. - -Mouret did not at once reply; he was walking about from the window to -the door, seeking to stifle his violent emotion. At last, however, he -stopped, and very politely, in a voice which he tried to render frigid, -he replied in all simplicity: "Yes, madame." - -The gas jet was still hissing in the stuffy air of the dressing-room. -But the reflections of the glass doors were no longer traversed by -dancing shadows, the room seemed bare and full of profound sadness. -And Henriette suddenly dropped upon a chair, twisting her handkerchief -between her febrile fingers, and, repeating amid her sobs: "Good -heavens! how wretched I am!" - -He stood perfectly still, looking at her for several seconds, and then -went quietly away. She, left all alone, wept on in the silence, before -the pins scattered over the dressing-table and the floor. - -When Mouret returned to the little drawing-room, he found Vallagnosc -alone, the baron having gone back to the ladies. As he still felt -very agitated, he sat down at the further end of the apartment, on a -sofa; and his friend on seeing him so faint charitably came and stood -before him, to conceal him from curious eyes. At first, they looked -at each other without saying a word. Then, Vallagnosc, who seemed to -be inwardly amused by Mouret's emotion, finished by asking in his -bantering voice: "Are you enjoying yourself?" - -Mouret did not appear to understand him at first. But when he -remembered their former conversations on the empty stupidity and -useless torture of life, he replied: "Of course, I've never before -lived so much. Ah! my boy, don't you laugh, the hours that make one -die of grief are by far the shortest!" Then he lowered his voice and -continued gaily, beneath his half-dried tears: "Yes, you know all, -don't you? Between them they have rent my heart. But yet the wounds -they make are nice, almost as nice as kisses. I am thoroughly exhausted -but, no matter, you can't think how I love life! Oh! I shall win her at -last, that little girl who still says no!" - -But Vallagnosc once more trotted out his pessimism. What was the good -of working so much if money could not procure everything? He would -precious soon have shut up shop and have given up work on the day he -found that his millions could not even win him the woman he loved! -Mouret, as he listened became grave. But all at once he protested -violently, believing as he did in the all-powerfulness of his will. - -"I love her, and I'll win her!" said he. "But even if she escapes -me, you'll see what a place I shall build to cure myself. It will be -splendid, all the same. You don't understand this language, old man, -otherwise you would know that action contains its own recompense. To -act, to create, to struggle against facts, to overcome them or be -overthrown by them, all human health and joy consists in that!" - -"A mere way of diverting one's self," murmured the other. - -"Well! I prefer diverting myself. As one must die, I would rather die -of passion than boredom!" - -They both laughed, this reminded them of their old discussions at -college. Then Vallagnosc, in an effeminate voice, began to parade his -theories of the insipidity of things, making almost a boast of the -immobility and emptiness of his existence. Yes, he would be as bored at -the Ministry on the morrow as he had been on the day before. In three -years he had had a rise of six hundred francs, he was now receiving -three thousand six hundred, barely enough to pay for his cigars. Things -were getting worse than ever, and if he did not kill himself, it was -simply from idleness and a dislike of trouble. On Mouret speaking of -his marriage with Mademoiselle de Boves, he replied that despite the -obstinacy of the aunt in refusing to die, the matter was about to be -concluded; at least, he thought so, the parents were agreed, and he -affected to have no will of his own. What was the use of wishing or not -wishing, since things never turned out as one desired? - -And as an example of this he mentioned his future father-in-law, who -had expected to find in Madame Guibal an indolent blonde, the caprice -of an hour, but was now led by her with a whip, like an old horse on -its last legs. Whilst they supposed him to be inspecting the stud at -Saint-Lô, he was squandering his last resources with her in a little -house at Versailles. - -"He's happier than you," said Mouret, getting up. - -"Oh! rather!" declared Vallagnosc. "Perhaps there's only wrong-doing -that's at all amusing." - -Mouret was now himself again. He was thinking about getting away; but -not wishing his departure to resemble a flight he resolved to take -a cup of tea, and therefore went into the big drawing-room with his -friend, both of them in high spirits. When the ladies inquired if the -mantle had been made to fit, Mouret carelessly replied that he had -given it up as a bad job as far as he was concerned. At this the others -seemed astonished, and whilst Madame Marty hastened to serve him, -Madame de Boves accused the shops of never allowing enough material for -their garments. - -At last, he managed to sit down near Bouthemont, who had not stirred. -The two were forgotten for a moment, and, in reply to the anxious -questions of Bouthemont, who wished to know what he had to expect, -Mouret did not hesitate any longer, but abruptly informed him that the -board of directors had decided to deprive themselves of his services. -He sipped his tea between each sentence he uttered, protesting all the -while that he was in despair. Oh! a quarrel that he had not even yet -got over, for he had left the meeting beside himself with rage. But -then what could he do? he could not break with those gentlemen about -a simple staff question. Bouthemont, very pale, had to thank him once -more. - -"What a terrible mantle," at last observed Madame Marty. "Henriette -can't get over it." - -And really the prolonged absence of the mistress of the house had -begun to make every one feel awkward. But, at that very moment, Madame -Desforges appeared. - -"So you've given it up as well?" exclaimed Madame de Boves, gaily. - -"How do you mean?" - -"Why, Monsieur Mouret told us that you could do nothing with it." - -Henriette affected the greatest surprise. "Monsieur Mouret was joking," -said she. "The mantle will fit splendidly." - -She appeared very calm and smiling. No doubt she had bathed her eyes, -for they were quite fresh, without the slightest trace of redness. -Whilst her whole being was still trembling and bleeding, she managed -to conceal her torment beneath a mask of smiling, well-bred elegance. -And she offered some sandwiches to Vallagnosc with her usual graceful -smile. Only the baron who knew her so well, remarked the slight -contraction of her lips and the sombre fire which she had not been able -to extinguish in the depths of her eyes. He guessed the whole scene. - -"Dear me! each one to her taste," said Madame de Boves, also accepting -a sandwich. "I know some women who would never buy a ribbon except -at the Louvre. Others swear by the Bon Marché. It's a question of -temperament, no doubt." - -"The Bon Marché is very provincial," murmured Madame Marty, "and one -gets so crushed at the Louvre." - -They had again returned to the big establishments. Mouret had to give -his opinion; he came up to them and affected to be very impartial. -The Bon Marché was an excellent house, solid and respectable; but the -Louvre certainly had a more showy class of customers. - -"In short, you prefer The Ladies' Paradise," said the baron, smiling. - -"Yes," replied Mouret, quietly. "There we really love our customers." - -All the women present were of his opinion. It was indeed just that; at -The Ladies' Paradise, they found themselves as at a sort of private -party, they felt a continual caress of flattery, an overflowing -adoration which made the most dignified of them linger there. The vast -success of the establishment sprang from that gallant fascination. - -"By the way," asked Henriette, who wished to appear entirely at her -ease, "what have you done with my protégée, Monsieur Mouret? You -know--Mademoiselle de Fontenailles." And, turning towards Madame -Marty, she explained, "A marchioness, my dear, a poor girl fallen into -poverty." - -"Oh," said Mouret, "she earns three francs a day by stitching -pattern-books, and I fancy I shall be able to marry her to one of my -messengers." - -"Oh! fie! what a horror!" exclaimed Madame de Boves. - -He looked at her, and replied in his calm voice: "Why so, madame? Isn't -it better for her to marry an honest, hard-working messenger than -to run the risk of being picked up by some good-for-nothing fellow -outside?" - -Vallagnosc wished to interfere, for the sake of a joke. "Don't push him -too far, madame, or he'll tell you that all the old families of France -ought to sell calico." - -"Well," declared Mouret, "it would at least be an honourable end for a -great many of them." - -They set up a laugh, the paradox seemed far fetched. But he continued -to sing the praises of what he called the aristocracy of work. A slight -flush had coloured Madame de Boves's cheeks, she was wild at the shifts -to which she was put by her poverty; whilst Madame Marty, on the -contrary, approved what was said, stricken with remorse on thinking of -her poor husband. Just then the footman ushered in the professor, who -had called to take her home. In his thin, shiny frock-coat he looked -more shrivelled than ever by all his hard toil. When he had thanked -Madame Desforges for having spoken for him at the Ministry, he cast at -Mouret the timid glance of a man encountering the evil that is to kill -him. And he was quite confused when he heard the other ask him: - -"Isn't it true, sir, that work leads to everything?" - -"Work and thrift," replied he, with a slight shiver of his whole body. -"Add thrift, sir." - -Meanwhile, Bouthemont had not moved from his chair, Mouret's words -were still ringing in his ears. But at last he got up, and approaching -Henriette said to her in a low tone: "Do you know, he's given me -notice; oh! in the kindest possible manner. But may I be hanged if he -shan't repent it! I've just found my sign, The Four Seasons, and shall -plant myself close to the Opera House!" - -She looked at him with a gloomy expression. "Reckon on me, I'm with -you. Wait a minute," she said. - -And forthwith she drew Baron Hartmann into the recess of a window, and -boldly recommended Bouthemont to him, as a fellow who would in his -turn revolutionize Paris, by setting up for himself. When she went -on to speak of an advance of funds for her new protégé, the baron, -though now never astonished at anything, could not restrain a gesture -of bewilderment. This was the fourth fellow of genius that she had -confided to him, and he was beginning to feel ridiculous. But he did -not directly refuse, the idea of starting a competitor to The Ladies' -Paradise even pleased him somewhat; for in banking matters he had -already invented this sort of competition, to keep off others. Besides, -the adventure amused him, and he promised to look into the matter. - -"We must talk it over to-night," whispered Henriette on returning to -Bouthemont. "Don't fail to call about nine o'clock. The baron is with -us." - -At this moment the spacious room was full of chatter. Mouret, still -standing in the midst of the ladies, had recovered his elegant -gracefulness; he was gaily defending himself from the charge of ruining -them in dress and offering to prove by figures that he enabled them -to save thirty per cent on their purchases. Baron Hartmann watched -him, seized with a fraternal admiration. Come! the duel was finished, -Henriette was decidedly beaten, she certainly was not the woman who was -to avenge all the others. And he fancied he could again see the modest -profile of the girl whom he had observed when passing through the -ante-room. She stood there, waiting, alone redoubtable in her sweetness. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - -It was on the 25th of September that the building of the new façade -of The Ladies' Paradise commenced. Baron Hartmann, according to his -promise, had managed to settle the matter at the last general meeting -of the Crédit Immobilier. And Mouret was at length approaching the -realization of his dream: this façade, about to arise in the Rue du -Dix-Décembre, was like the very blossoming of his fortune. He therefore -desired to celebrate the laying of the foundation stone; and made it a -ceremony, besides distributing gratuities amongst his employees, and -giving them game and champagne for dinner in the evening. Every one -noticed his wonderful good humour during the ceremony, his victorious -gesture as he made the first stone fast with a flourish of the trowel. -For weeks he had been anxious, agitated by a nervous torment that he -did not always manage to conceal; and his triumph brought a respite, -a distraction to his suffering. During the afternoon he seemed to -have returned to his former healthy gaiety. But, at dinner-time, when -he went through the refectory to drink a glass of champagne with his -staff, he appeared feverish again, smiling with a painful look, his -features drawn by the unconfessed suffering which was consuming him. He -was once more mastered by it. - -The next day, in the cloak and mantle department, Clara Prunaire -tried to be disagreeable with Denise. She had noticed Colomban's -lackadaisical passion, and took it into her head to joke about the -Baudus. As Marguerite was sharpening her pencil while waiting for -customers, she said to her, in a loud voice: - -"You know my admirer opposite. It really grieves me to see him in that -dark shop which no one ever enters." - -"He's not so badly off," replied Marguerite, "he's going to marry the -governor's daughter." - -"Oh! oh!" resumed Clara, "it would be good fun to flirt with him then! -I'll try the game, on my word of honour!" - -And she continued in the same strain, happy to feel that Denise was -shocked. The latter forgave her everything else; but the thought of her -dying cousin Geneviève being finished off by such cruelty, exasperated -her. As it happened, at that moment a customer came in, and as Madame -Aurélie had just gone downstairs, she took the direction of the -counter, and called Clara. - -"Mademoiselle Prunaire, you had better attend to this lady instead of -gossiping there." - -"I wasn't gossiping." - -"Have the kindness to hold your tongue, and attend to this lady -immediately." - -Clara gave in, conquered. When Denise showed her authority, without -raising her voice, not one of them resisted. She had acquired this -absolute authority by her very moderation. For a moment she walked up -and down in silence, amidst the young ladies who had become serious -again. Marguerite had resumed sharpening her pencil, the point of which -was always breaking. - -"What! you're getting angry?" all at once said a voice behind Denise. - -It was Pauline, on her way across the department. She had noticed the -scene, and spoke in a low tone, smiling. - -"But I'm obliged to," replied Denise in the same tone, "I can't manage -them otherwise." - -Pauline shrugged her shoulders. "Nonsense, you can be queen over all of -us whenever you like," she replied. She was still unable to understand -her friend's refusal. - -Since the end of August, Pauline had been married to Baugé; a most -stupid affair, she would sometimes gaily remark. That terrible -Bourdoncle treated her anyhow, now, considering her as lost for trade. -Her great fear was that they might some fine day send her to love her -husband elsewhere, for the managers had decreed love to be execrable -and fatal to business. So great was her dread, that when she met Baugé -in the galleries she often affected not to know him. She had just had -a fright--old Jouve having nearly caught her talking to her husband -behind a pile of dusters. - -"See! he's followed me," she added, after hastily relating the -adventure to Denise. "Just look at him sniffing for me with his big -nose!" - -Jouve, in fact, was just then coming from the lace department, -correctly arrayed in a white tie, and with his nose on the scent for -some delinquent. But when he saw Denise, his face relaxed and he passed -by with an amiable smile. - -"Saved!" murmured Pauline. "My dear, you made him swallow that! I say, -if anything should happen to me, you would speak for me, wouldn't you? -Yes, yes, don't put on that astonished air, we know that a word from -you would revolutionize the house." - -And thereupon she ran off to her counter. Denise had blushed, troubled -by these friendly allusions. It was true, however. She had a vague -sensation of her power from the flattery with which she was surrounded. -When Madame Aurélie returned, and found the department quiet and busy -under the surveillance of the second-hand, she smiled at her amicably. -She threw over Mouret himself, and her amiability daily increased for -the young person who might some fine morning desire her situation as -first-hand. In a word Denise's reign was commencing. - -Bourdoncle alone still stood out. In the secret warfare which he -carried on against the young girl, there was in the first place a -natural antipathy. He detested her for her gentleness and her charm. -Then too he fought against her as against a fatal influence which would -place the house in peril on the day when Mouret should succumb. The -governor's commercial genius seemed certain to founder in this stupid -affection: all that they had gained by women would be swallowed up by -this one. None of them touched Bourdoncle's heart, he treated them all -with the disdain of a passionless man whose business was to live by -them, and whose last illusions had been dispelled by seeing them so -closely amidst the worries of his trade. And what made him especially -anxious in the presence of this little saleswoman, who had gradually -become so redoubtable, was that he did not in the least believe in her -disinterestedness, in the genuineness of her refusals. In his opinion -she was playing a part, the most skilful of parts, rendering Mouret -absolutely mad, capable of any folly. - -Thus Bourdoncle could never now catch sight of her, with her clear -eyes, sweet face, and simple attitude, without experiencing a real -fear, as if he had before him some disguised female flesh-eater, the -sombre enigma of woman, Death in the guise of a virgin. In what way -could he possibly confound the tactics of this spurious novice? He was -now only anxious to penetrate her artful ways, in the hope of exposing -them to the light of day. She would certainly commit some fault at -last; he would surprise her with one of her sweethearts, and she would -again be dismissed. The house would then resume its regular working -like a well-appointed machine. - -"Keep a good look-out, Monsieur Jouve," Bourdoncle kept saying to the -inspector. "I'll take care that you shall be rewarded." - -But Jouve was somewhat lukewarm for he knew something about women, and -asked himself whether he had not better take the part of this girl, -who might be the sovereign mistress of the morrow. Though he did not -now dare to touch her, he still thought her bewitchingly pretty. His -colonel in bygone days had killed himself for a similar little thing, -with an insignificant face, delicate and modest, one look from whom had -ravaged all hearts. - -"I'm watching," he replied. "But, on my word, I cannot discover -anything." - -And yet stories were circulating, there was quite a current of -abominable tittle-tattle running beneath the flattery and respect which -Denise felt arising around her. The whole house now declared that she -had formerly had Hutin for a sweetheart; and they were suspected of -still meeting from time to time. Deloche also was said to keep company -with her; they were continually meeting in dark corners and talking for -hours together. It was quite a scandal! - -"So, there's nothing about the first-hand in the silk department, or -about the young man in the lace one?" asked Bourdoncle. - -"No, sir, nothing yet," replied the inspector. - -It was with Deloche especially that Bourdoncle expected to surprise -Denise, for one morning he himself had caught them laughing together -downstairs. In the meantime, he treated her on a footing of perfect -equality, for he no longer disdained her, feeling that she was strong -enough to overthrow even himself notwithstanding his ten years' -service, should he lose the game. - -"Keep your eye on the young man in the lace department," he concluded -each time. "They are always together. If you catch them, call me, and -I'll manage the rest." - -Mouret, meanwhile, was living in anguish. Was it possible that such -a child could torture him in this manner? He could always recall her -arrival at The Ladies' Paradise, with her heavy shoes, thin black -dress, and wild look. She stammered, they all used to laugh at her, he -himself had thought her ugly at first. Ugly! and now she could have -brought him to his knees by a look, for he thought her nothing less -than an angel! Then she had remained the last in the house, repulsed, -joked at, treated by him as a curious specimen of humanity. For months -he had wanted to see how a girl sprung up, and had amused himself with -this experiment, not understanding that he was risking his heart. She, -little by little had grown and become redoubtable. Perhaps he had loved -her from the very first, even at the time when he had thought that he -felt nothing but pity for her. And yet, he had only really begun to -feel this love on the evening of their walk under the chestnut trees -of the Tuileries. His life dated from then; he could still hear the -laughter of a group of little girls, the distant fall of a jet of -water, whilst in the warm shade she walked on beside him in silence. -After that, he knew no more, his fever had increased hour by hour; all -his blood, his whole being, in fact, had been given to her. And she, -such a child--was it possible? When she passed by now, the slight gust -from her dress seemed to him so powerful that he staggered. - -For a long time he had struggled, and even now he frequently became -indignant and endeavoured to free himself from this idiotic possession. -What power was it she possessed that she should be able to bind him -in this way? Had he not seen her without boots to her feet? Had she -not been received almost out of charity? He could have understood -had it been a question of one of those superb creatures who charm -the multitude! but this little girl; this nobody! She had, in short, -one of those insignificant faces which excite no remark. She could -not even be very intelligent, for he remembered her bad beginning as -a saleswoman. But, after every explosion of anger, he experienced a -relapse of passion, a kind of sacred terror at having insulted his -idol. She possessed everything a woman can have that is good--courage, -gaiety, simplicity; and from her gentleness a charm of penetrating, -perfume-like subtlety was exhaled. One might at first ignore her, or -elbow her like any other girl; but the charm soon began to act with -invincible force; and one belonged to her for ever, if she deigned to -smile. Everything then beamed in her white face, her soft eyes, her -cheeks and chin full of dimples; whilst her heavy blonde hair also -seemed to light up with a royal and conquering beauty. He acknowledged -himself vanquished; she was as intelligent as she was beautiful, her -intelligence came from the best part of her being. Whilst in his eyes -the other saleswomen only possessed a superficial education, the -varnish which scales off from girls of that class, she, without any -false elegance, retained her native grace, the savour of her origin. -The broadest commercial ideas sprang up from her experience, behind her -narrow forehead, whose pure lines clearly announced the presence of a -firm will and love of order. And he could have clasped his hands to ask -her pardon for blaspheming in his hours of revolt. - -Why did she still refuse with such obstinacy? Twenty times had he -entreated her, increasing his offers, offering money and more money. -Then, thinking that she must be ambitious, he had promised to appoint -her first-hand, as soon as there should be a vacancy. And she had -refused, and still refused! For him it was a stupor, a struggle in -which his desire became rageful. - -All his days were now spent amidst the same grievous obsession. -Denise's image rose with him. After he had dreamed of her all night, -she followed him to the desk in his office, where he signed the bills -and orders from nine to ten o'clock: a work which he accomplished -mechanically, never ceasing to feel her present, still saying "no," -with her quiet air. Then, at ten o'clock, came the board-meeting, quite -a cabinet council composed of the twelve directors, at which he had to -preside; they discussed matters affecting the in-door arrangements, -examined the purchases, settled the window displays; and yet she was -still there, he heard her soft voice amidst the figures, he saw her -bright smile amidst the most complicated financial situations. After -the board-meeting, she accompanied him on the daily inspection of the -departments, and returning with him to his office in the afternoon, -she remained close to his chair from two till four o'clock, whilst he -received a crowd of important business men, the principal manufacturers -of France, bankers and inventors: a continual coming-and-going of the -wealth and intelligence of the land, a mad dance of millions, rapid -interviews during which the biggest affairs of the Paris market were -concluded. If he forgot her for a moment whilst he was deciding to -ruin or support an industry, he found her again at a sudden twitch of -his heart; his voice died away, and he asked himself what could be -the use of this princely fortune since she still refused. At last, -when five o'clock struck, he had to sign the day's correspondence, -and the mechanical working of his hand began again, whilst she rose -up before him more domineering than ever, seizing him entirely, to -hold possession of him throughout the solitary and ardent hours of the -night. And the morrows were the same days over again, days which were -so active, so full of colossal labour but which the slight shadow of a -child sufficed to ravage with anguish. - -However, it was particularly during his daily inspection of the -departments that he felt his misery. To have built up this giant -machine, to reign over such a world of people, and yet to be dying of -grief because a little girl would not accept him! He scorned himself, -dragging the fever and shame of his pain about with him everywhere. On -certain days he became disgusted with his power; from one end to the -other of the galleries he felt nothing but nausea. At other times he -would have wished to extend his empire, and make it so vast that she -would perhaps have yielded out of sheer admiration and fear. - -He would begin by stopping in the basement opposite the shoot. This was -still in the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin; but it had been necessary to -enlarge it, and it was now as wide as the bed of a river, down which -the continual flood of goods rolled with the loud noise of rushing -water. There was a succession of arrivals from all parts of the world, -rows of waggons from every railway, a ceaseless unloading, a stream -of packing-cases and bales flowing underground and absorbed by the -insatiable establishment. He gazed at this torrent pouring into his -house, he felt that he was one of the masters of the public fortune, -that he held in his hands the fate of French manufactures, and yet was -unable to buy a kiss from one of his saleswomen. - -Then he passed on to the receiving department, which now occupied that -part of the basement skirting the Rue Monsigny. Twenty tables were -ranged there, in the pale light from the air-holes; quite a crowd -of assistants was bustling about, emptying cases, checking goods, -and marking them in plain figures, amidst the neighbouring roar of -the shoot, which almost drowned their voices. Various managers of -departments stopped him, he had to solve difficulties and confirm -orders. The cellar filled with the soft glimmer of satin and the -whiteness of linen, a prodigious unpacking in which furs were mingled -with lace, French fancy goods with Eastern hangings. With a slow step -he wended his way amidst all these riches thrown about in disorder, -heaped up in their rough state. Up above, they would shine in the -window displays, set money galloping through the departments, no sooner -shown than carried off, in the furious rush of business which traversed -the place. But he kept on thinking that he had offered Denise silks and -velvets, anything she might like to take in no matter what quantity, -from among these enormous heaps, and that she had refused his offer by -a slight shake of her fair head. - -After that, he went to the other end of the basement, to pay his usual -visit to the delivery department. Interminable corridors ran along, -lighted by gas; to the right and the left, the reserves, closed in -with gratings, seemed like so many subterranean stores, a complete -commercial district, with its haberdashery, underclothing, glove, -toy and other shops, all sleeping in the gloom. Further on stood one -of the three hot-air stoves; further still, was a post of firemen -guarding the main gas-meter, enclosed in its iron cage. He found, in -the delivery department, the sorting tables already littered with heaps -of parcels, band-boxes, and cases which were continually arriving in -large hampers; and Campion, the superintendent, gave him particulars -about the current work, whilst the twenty men placed under his orders -distributed the parcels among large compartments, each of which bore -the name of a district of Paris, and whence the messengers took them up -to the vans waiting beside the foot pavement. There was a succession -of cries, names of streets and other instructions were shouted out, -quite an uproar arose, all the bustle of a mail-boat about to leave -her moorings. And he stood there for a moment, motionless, watching -this emission of goods which he had just seen the house absorb at the -opposite end of the basement: the huge current ended here; it was here -that it discharged itself into the street again after filling the tills -with gold. But his eyes became dim, this colossal business no longer -had any importance for him; he had but one idea, that of going away to -some distant land, and abandoning everything, should she persist in -saying no. - -Then he went upstairs, continuing his inspection, talking and -bestirring himself more and more, but without finding any respite. -On the second floor, he entered the forwarding department, seeking -quarrels and secretly exasperated with the perfect regularity of the -machine which he had himself built up. This department was the one that -was daily assuming a more considerable importance: it now occupied -two hundred employees--some of whom opened, read, and classified the -letters coming from the provinces and abroad, whilst others collected -in compartments the goods ordered by customers. And the number of -letters was increasing to such an extent that they no longer counted -them; they weighed them, receiving as much as a hundredweight a day. He -feverishly went through the three offices, questioning Levasseur, the -chief, as to the weight of the correspondence; now it was eighty, now -ninety, sometimes, on a Monday, a hundred pounds. The figure increased -daily, he ought to have been delighted. But he stood quivering amid -the noise made by a neighbouring squad of packers nailing down the -cases. It was in vain that he roamed about the building: his fixed -idea remained fast in his mind, and as his power unfolded itself -before him, as the mechanism of the business and the army of employees -passed before his gaze, he felt more deeply than ever the taunt of -his powerlessness. Orders from all Europe were flowing in, a special -post-office van was required for his correspondence; and yet she said -no, always no. - -He returned downstairs and visited the central cashier's office, where -four clerks guarded the two giant safes, through which eighty-eight -million francs had passed during the previous year. He glanced at the -clearing-house office which now occupied thirty-five clerks, chosen -from amongst the most trustworthy. He went into the checking office, -where twenty-five young men, junior clerks, checked the debit-notes -and calculated the salesmen's commissions. He returned to the chief -cashier's office, grew exasperated by the sight of the safes, wandered -about amidst these millions, the uselessness of which was driving him -mad. She said no, always no. - -And it was always and ever no, in all the departments, in the -galleries, the saloons, in every part of the establishment! He went -from the silk to the drapery department, from the linen to the lace; -he ascended to the upper floors, pausing on the hanging bridges, -prolonging his inspection with a maniacal, grievous minuteness. The -house had grown and spread beyond all bounds, he had created this -department, then that other; he governed that fresh domain, he extended -his empire into that industry, the last one conquered; and it was no, -always no, in spite of everything. His staff would now have sufficed -to people a small town: there were fifteen hundred salesmen, and a -thousand other employees of every sort, including forty inspectors and -seventy cashiers; the kitchens alone gave occupation to thirty-two men; -ten clerks were set apart for the advertising service; there were three -hundred and fifty shop messengers, all wearing livery, and twenty-four -firemen living on the premises. And the stables, royal buildings -situated in the Rue Monsigny, opposite the warehouses, accommodated -one hundred and forty-five horses, a splendid set of animals already -celebrated. The first four conveyances which had stirred up the whole -neighbourhood formerly when the house occupied only the corner of the -Place Gaillon, had gradually increased to sixty-two: small hand-trucks, -one-horse vans, and heavy two-horse ones. They were continually -scouring Paris, skilfully driven by coachmen clad in black, and bearing -hither and thither the gold and purple sign of The Ladies' Paradise. -They even went beyond the fortifications, and sped through the -suburbs; they were to be met in the hollow roads of Bicêtre and along -the banks of the Marne, along even the shady drives of the Forest of -Saint-Germain. Sometimes one would emerge from the depths of some sunny -avenue, where all was silent and deserted, the superb animals which -drew it passing by at a trot, whilst it cast the glaring advertisement -of its varnished panels upon the mysterious peacefulness of nature. -Mouret was actually thinking of sending these vehicles further still, -even into the neighbouring departments; he would have liked to hear -them rolling along every road in France, from one frontier to the -other. But he no longer even crossed the street to visit his horses, -though he was passionately fond of them. Of what good was this conquest -of the world, since it was no, always no? - -Nowadays of an evening, when he arrived at Lhomme's desk, he still from -force of habit glanced at the amount of the takings written on a card, -which the cashier stuck up on an iron file beside him; this figure -rarely fell below a hundred thousand francs, sometimes on big sale days -it ran up to eight and nine hundred thousand; but the amount no longer -sounded in Mouret's ears like a trumpet-blast, he regretted having -looked at it, and bitterly went his way, full of hatred and scorn of -money. - -But his sufferings were destined to increase, for he became jealous. -One morning, in the office, before the board-meeting began, Bourdoncle -ventured to hint that the little girl in the mantle department was -playing with him. - -"How so?" he asked, turning very pale. - -"Why yes! she has sweethearts in this very building." - -Mouret found strength to smile. "I don't think any more about her, my -dear fellow. You can speak freely. Who are they?" - -"Hutin, they say, and then a salesman in the lace department--Deloche, -that tall awkward fellow. I can't speak with certainty, never having -seen them together. But it appears that it's notorious." - -There was a silence. Mouret affected to arrange the papers on his table -in order to conceal the trembling of his hands. At last, he observed, -without raising his head: "One must have proofs, try and bring me some -proofs. As for myself, I assure you I don't care in the least, for I'm -quite sick of her. But we can't allow such things to go on here." - -"Never fear," replied Bouthemont, "you shall have proofs one of these -days. I'm keeping a good look-out." - -This news deprived Mouret of all rest. He had not the courage to -revert to the conversation, but lived in continual expectation of a -catastrophe, in which his heart would be crushed. And this torment -rendered him terrible; he made the whole house tremble. He now -disdained to conceal himself behind Bourdoncle, and performed the -executions in person, feeling a nervous desire for revenge, solacing -himself by abuse of his power, that power which could do nothing for -the contentment of his sole desire. Each of his inspections became a -massacre; as soon as he was seen a shudder of panic sped from counter -to counter. The dead winter season was just then approaching, and he -made a clean sweep in each department, piling up victims and hustling -them into the street. His first idea had been to dismiss Hutin and -Deloche; but he had reflected that if he did not keep them, he would -never discover anything; and the others suffered for them: the whole -staff trembled. In the evening, when he found himself alone again, -tears made his eyelids swell. - -One day especially terror reigned supreme. An inspector had the idea -that Mignot was stealing. There was always a number of strange-looking -girls prowling around his counter; and one of them had lately been -arrested, her hips and bosom padded with sixty pairs of gloves. From -that moment a watch was kept, and the inspector caught Mignot in the -act of facilitating the sleight of hand of a tall fair girl who had -formerly been a saleswoman at the Louvre. His plan was very simple, -he pretended to be trying some gloves on her, waited till she had -padded herself, and then conducted her to the pay-desk, where she paid -for a single pair only. Mouret happened to be there, just at that -moment. As a rule, he preferred not to mix himself up in affairs of -this sort, which were fairly frequent; for notwithstanding the regular -machine-like working, great disorder reigned in certain departments -of The Ladies' Paradise, and scarcely a week passed by without some -employee being dismissed for theft. The management preferred to hush up -such matters as far as possible, considering it undesirable to set the -police at work, and thus expose one of the fatal plague-spots of these -great bazaars. But, that day, Mouret felt a real need of venting his -anger on some one, and treated handsome Mignot with such violence, that -the latter stood there trembling with fear, his face pale and distorted. - -"I ought to call a policeman," cried Mouret, before all the other -salesmen. "But answer me! who is this woman? I swear I'll send for the -police commissary, if you don't tell me the truth." - -The woman had been taken away, and two saleswomen were searching her. -"I don't know her, sir," Mignot stammered out: "She's the one who -came----" - -"Don't tell lies!" interrupted Mouret, more violently still. "And -there's nobody here to warn us! You are all in the plot, on my word! -We are robbed, pillaged, plundered. It's enough to make us have the -pockets of each one searched before he leaves!" - -Murmurs were heard. The three or four customers buying gloves stood -looking on, frightened. - -"Silence!" he resumed, furiously, "or I'll clear the whole place!" - -However, Bourdoncle came running up, all anxiety at the idea of the -scandal. He whispered a few words in Mouret's ear, the affair was -assuming exceptional gravity; and he prevailed on him to take Mignot -into the inspectors office, a room on the ground-floor near the -entrance in the Rue Gaillon. The woman was there, quietly putting on -her things again. She had just mentioned Albert Lhomme's name. Mignot, -on again being questioned, lost his head, and began to sob; he wasn't -in fault, it was Albert who sent him these girls; he had at first -merely afforded them certain advantages, enabling them to profit by the -bargains; and at last when they took to stealing, he was already too -far compromised to report the matter. The principals now discovered -a series of extraordinary robberies; goods taken away by girls who -went into the luxurious lavatories, situated near the refreshment bar -and surrounded by evergreen plants, to hide them under their skirts; -purchases which a salesman neglected to call out at a pay-desk, when -he accompanied a customer there and the price of which he divided with -the cashier; and even false "returns," articles which employees said -had been brought back in order that they might pocket the refunded -money; without mentioning the common robberies of things which the -salesmen took away under their coats in the evening, sometimes rolled -round their bodies, and sometimes even hung down their legs. For the -last fourteen months, thanks to Mignot and other salesmen, no doubt, -whom they refused to name, this pilfering had been going on at Albert's -desk--quite an impudent trafficking in articles representing a large -amount of money which was never correctly ascertained. - -Meanwhile the news had spread through the various departments, causing -guilty consciences to tremble, whilst the most honest quaked at thought -of the general sweep that seemed imminent. Albert had disappeared into -the inspector's office. Next his father had passed by, half choking, -his face red and showing signs of apoplexy. Then Madame Aurélie herself -was called; and came down bearing the affront with head erect, her fat -puffy countenance having the appearance of a wax mask. The explanation -lasted for some time; no one knew the exact details, but it was said -that the first-hand had slapped her son's face, whilst the worthy old -father wept, and the governor, contrary to all his elegant habits, -swore like a trooper, absolutely wanting to hand the offenders over -to justice. However, the scandal was hushed up. Mignot was the only -one dismissed there and then. Albert did not disappear till two days -later; his mother had doubtless begged that the family might not be -dishonoured by an immediate execution. Still the panic lasted several -days longer, for after this scene Mouret wandered from one end of the -establishment to the other, with a terrible expression, venting his -anger on all those who dared even to raise their eyes. - -"What are you doing there, sir, looking at the flies? Go and get paid!" - -At last, the storm burst one day on the head of Hutin himself. Favier, -now appointed second, was undermining the first-hand, in order to -dislodge him from his position. This was always the way; he addressed -crafty reports to the directors, taking advantage of every opportunity -to have the first-hand caught doing something wrong. Thus, one morning, -as Mouret was going through the silk department, he stopped short quite -surprised to see Favier altering the price tickets of a stock of black -velvet. - -"Why are you lowering the prices?" he asked. "Who gave you the order to -do so?" - -The second-hand, who was making a great fuss over this work, as if he -wished to attract the governor's attention and foresaw the result, -replied with an innocent, astonished air: "Why, Monsieur Hutin told me, -sir." - -"Monsieur Hutin! Where is Monsieur Hutin?" - -And when the latter came up from the receiving department where a -salesman had been sent to fetch him, an animated explanation ensued. -What! he undertook to lower the prices of his own accord now! What -did that mean? But in his turn he appeared greatly astonished, having -merely talked the matter over with Favier, without giving any positive -orders. The latter then assumed the sorrowful air of an employee who -finds himself obliged to contradict his superior. Yet he was quite -willing to accept the blame, if it would get the latter out of a -scrape. Things began to look very bad. - -"Understand, Monsieur Hutin!" cried Mouret, "I have never tolerated -these attempts at independence. We alone decide about the prices." - -He went on speaking in a sharp voice, and with wounding intentions, -which surprised the salesmen, for as a rule these discussions were -carried on quietly, and the affair might really have been the result -of a misunderstanding. One could divine, however, that he had some -unavowed spite to satisfy. He had at last caught that Hutin in fault, -that Hutin who was said to be Denise's sweetheart. He could now relieve -himself, by making the other feel that he, Mouret, was the master! And -he exaggerated matters, even insinuating that this reduction of price -appeared to conceal very questionable intentions. - -"Sir," repeated Hutin, "I meant to consult you about it. It is really -necessary, as you know, for there has been no demand for these velvets." - -Mouret cut him short with a final harsh remark. "Very good, sir; we -will look into the matter. But don't do such a thing again, if you -value your situation." - -And then he walked off. Hutin, bewildered, furious, finding no one but -Favier to confide in, swore that he would go and throw his resignation -at the brute's head. But he soon left off talking of leaving, and began -to stir up all the abominable accusations which were current amongst -the salesmen against their chiefs. And Favier, his eyes sparkling, -defended himself with a great show of sympathy. He was obliged to -reply, wasn't he? Besides, could any one have foreseen such a row over -so trifling a matter? What had come on the governor lately, that he -should be so unbearable? - -"We all know what's the matter with him," replied Hutin. "Is it my -fault if that little jade in the mantle department is turning his -head? My dear follow, you can see that the blow comes from there. He's -aware that she fancied me, and he doesn't like it; or perhaps it's she -herself who wants to get me dismissed because I'm in her way. But I -swear she shall hear from me, if ever she crosses my path." - -Two days later, as Hutin was going into the work-rooms upstairs, under -the leads, to recommend a girl of his acquaintance, he started on -perceiving Denise and Deloche leaning against a window at the end of a -passage and plunged so deeply in private conversation that they did not -even turn round. The idea of having them caught there suddenly occurred -to him, when he perceived with astonishment that Deloche was weeping. -He at once went off without making any noise; and meeting Bourdoncle -and Jouve on the stairs, told them some story about one of the -fire-extinguishers, the door of which seemed to have been torn away; -in this manner they would go upstairs and drop on to the two others. -Bourdoncle discovered them first. He stopped short, and told Jouve to -go and fetch the governor, whilst he remained there. The inspector had -to obey, though greatly annoyed at being forced to mix himself up in -such a matter. - -This was a lost corner of the vast world where the people of The -Ladies' Paradise bestirred themselves. You reached it by an intricate -network of stairs and passages. The work-rooms, situated in the -attics, were low sloping chambers, lighted by large windows cut in -the zinc roofing, and furnished solely with long tables and large -cast-iron stoves; and all along was a crowd of work-girls engaged on -the under-clothing, the lace, the upholstery and the dressmaking, and -living winter and summer in a stifling heat, amidst the odour peculiar -to the business. You had to skirt all these rooms, and turn to the -right after passing the dressmakers, before coming to the solitary -end of the corridor. The few customers, whom a salesman occasionally -brought here for an order, gasped for breath, tired out and frightened, -with the sensation of having turned round and round for hours, and of -being a hundred leagues above the street. - -Denise had often found Deloche waiting for her. As second-hand she had -charge of the arrangements between her department and the work-room -where only the models and alterations were attended to, and was -always going up and down to give the necessary orders. The young man -would watch for her and invent any pretext to run after her; and then -affected to be surprised when he met her at the work-room door. She -got to laugh about the matter and it became quite an understood thing. -The corridor ran alongside one of the cisterns, an enormous iron tank -containing twelve thousand gallons of water; and on the roof there was -another one of equal size, reached by an iron ladder. For an instant, -Deloche would stand talking, leaning one shoulder against the cistern -in the continual abandonment of his long body, bent by fatigue. A -sing-song noise of water was heard, a mysterious noise, the musical -vibration of which the iron tank ever retained. Despite the solitude, -Denise would at times turn round anxiously, thinking, she had seen a -shadow pass on the bare, pale yellow walls. But the window would soon -attract them, they would lean against it, and forget themselves in a -pleasant gossip, in endless souvenirs of their native place. Below them -extended the immense glass roof of the central gallery, a lake of glass -bounded by the distant housetops, as by a rocky coast. Beyond, they saw -nothing but the sky, a sheet of sky, which cast in the sleeping water -of the glass work a reflection of the flight of its clouds and its soft -azure. - -It so happened that Deloche was that day speaking of Valognes. "I was -six years old; my mother used to take me to Valognes market in a cart," -he said. "You know it's ten miles away; we had to leave Briquebec at -five o'clock. It's a fine country down our way. Do you know it?" - -"Yes, yes," replied Denise, slowly, her glances wandering far away. -"I was there once, but was very little then. Roads with grass on each -side, eh? and now and again sheep browsing in couples, dragging their -clog along by the rope." She stopped, then resumed with a vague smile: -"Our roads run for miles as straight as arrows between rows of trees -which afford some shade. We have meadows surrounded by hedges taller -than I am, where there are horses and cows grazing. We have a little -river too, and the water is very cold, under the brushwood, in a spot I -well know." - -"It is the same with us, exactly!" cried Deloche, delighted. - -"There's grass everywhere, each one encloses his plot with thorns -and elms, and is at once at home; and it's quite green, a green far -different to what we see in Paris. Dear me! how I've played in the -hollow road, on the left, coming down from the mill!" - -Their voices died away, they remained with their eyes fixed, lost on -the sunny lake of the glass work. A mirage rose up before them from -that blinding water, they beheld an endless succession of meadows, -the Cotentin country steeped in the breath of the ocean, bathed in a -luminous vapour, which blurred the horizon with the delicate grey of a -water-colour. Below them, beneath the colossal iron framework, in the -silk hall, was the roar of business, the trepidation of the machine -at work; the entire house vibrated with the tramping of the crowd, -the bustle of the salesmen, the life of the thirty thousand persons -hurtling there; and they, carried away by their dreams, thought they -could hear the wind passing over the grass and shaking the tall trees, -as they detected this deep dull clamour with which the roofs were -resounding. - -"Ah! Mademoiselle Denise," stammered Deloche, "why aren't you kinder -to me? I love you so much!" Tears had come into his eyes, and as she -signed to him to stop, he continued quickly: "No--let me tell you these -things once more. We should get on so well together! People always find -something to talk about when they come from the same part." - -He was choking, and she was at last able to say kindly: "You're -not reasonable; you promised me never to speak of that again. It's -impossible. I have great friendship for you, because you're a nice -fellow; but I wish to remain free." - -"Yes, yes. I know," he replied in a broken voice, "you don't love -me. Oh! you may say so, I quite understand it. There's nothing in me -to make you love me. Listen, I've only had one sweet moment in my -life, and that was when I met you at Joinville, do you remember? For -a moment, under the trees, when it was so dark, I thought your arm -trembled, and was stupid enough to imagine----" - -But she again interrupted him. Her quick ear had just detected the -sound of Bourdoncle's and Jouve's steps at the end of the corridor. - -"Hark, there's some one coming." - -"No," said he, preventing her from leaving the window, "it's in the -cistern: all sorts of extraordinary noises come from it, as if there -were some one inside." - -And then he continued his timid caressing complaints. She was no longer -listening to him, however. Rocked into a dreamy mood by his declaration -of love, her eyes wandering over the roofs of The Ladies' Paradise. To -the right and the left of the large glazed gallery, other galleries and -other halls were glistening in the sunshine, between the housetops, -pierced with garret windows and running along symmetrically, like the -wings of a barracks. Metal ladders and bridges rose on all sides, -describing a lacework of iron in the air; whilst the kitchen chimney -belched forth as much smoke as a factory, and the great square cistern, -supported aloft by cast-iron pillars, assumed the strange silhouette -of some barbarous structure erected at this height by the pride of one -man. In the distance, Paris roared. - -When Denise awoke from this dreamy contemplation of space and the -summits of The Ladies' Paradise, where her thoughts floated as in a -vast solitude, she found that Deloche had caught hold of her hand. And -as he appeared so woe-begone she did not draw it away. - -"Forgive me," he murmured. "It's all over now; I should be too -miserable if you punished me by withdrawing your friendship. I -assure you I intended to say something else. Yes, I had determined -to understand the situation and be very good." Then his tears again -began to flow and he tried to steady his voice. "For I know my lot in -life. It is too late for my luck to turn. Beaten at home, beaten in -Paris, beaten everywhere! I've now been here four years and am still -the last in the department. So I wanted to tell you not to trouble on -my account. I won't annoy you any more. Try to be happy, love some one -else; yes, that would really be a pleasure for me. If you are happy, I -shall be happy too. That will be my happiness." - -He could say no more. As if to seal his promise he raised the young -girl's hand to his lips--kissing it with the humble kiss of a slave. -She was deeply affected, and said simply, in a tender, sisterly tone, -which softened somewhat the pity of the words: "My poor lad!" - -But they started, and turned round; Mouret was standing before them. - -For the last ten minutes, Jouve had been searching all over the place -for the governor; the latter, however, was looking at the building of -the new façade in the Rue du Dix-Décembre. He spent long hours there -every day, trying to interest himself in this work, of which he had -so long dreamed. There, amidst masons laying the huge corner-stones, -and engineers setting up the great iron framework, he found a refuge -against his torments. The façade already appeared above the level of -the street; and indications of the spacious porch, and the windows of -the first storey, a palace-like development in a crude state could be -seen. Mouret scaled the ladders, discussing with the architect the -ornamentation which was to be something quite new, scrambled over the -heaps of brick and iron, and even went down into the cellars; and the -roar of the steam-engine, the tic-tac of the trowels, the loud noise -of the hammers and the clamour of the army of workmen in this immense -cage surrounded by sound-reëchoing planks, really diverted him for an -instant. He would come out white with plaster, black with iron-filings, -his feet splashed by the water from the pumps but nevertheless so far -from being cured that his anguish returned and his heart beat more -loudly than ever, as the uproar of the works died away behind him. -It so happened, on the day in question, that a slight diversion had -brought back his gaiety: he had become deeply interested in an album -of drawings of the mosaics and enamelled terra-cotta which were to -decorate the friezes, when Jouve, out of breath, annoyed at being -obliged to soil his frock coat amongst all the building materials came -up to fetch him. At first Mouret cried out that they must wait; but, at -a word spoken in an undertone by the inspector, he immediately followed -him, trembling and again mastered by his passion. Nothing else existed, -the façade crumbled away before being built: what was the use of that -supreme triumph of his pride, if the mere name of a woman whispered in -his ear tortured him to this extent! - -Upstairs, Bourdoncle and Jouve thought it prudent to vanish. Deloche -had hastened away; Denise, paler than usual, alone remained face to -face with Mouret, looking straight into his eyes. - -"Have the goodness to follow me, mademoiselle," he said in a harsh -voice. - -She followed him, they descended the two storeys, and crossed the -furniture and carpet departments without saying a word. When he arrived -at his office, he opened the door wide, saying, "Walk in, mademoiselle." - -And, closing the door, he went to his table. The director's new office -was fitted up more luxuriously than the old one; the rep hangings had -been replaced by velvet ones, and a book-case, inlaid with ivory, -occupied one whole side; but on the walls there was still no other -picture than the portrait of Madame Hédouin, a young woman with a calm -handsome face, smiling in a gilded frame. - -"Mademoiselle," he said at last, trying to maintain a cold severe air, -"there are certain things that we cannot tolerate. Good conduct is -absolutely necessary here." - -He stopped, choosing his words, in order not to yield to the furious -anger which was rising within him. What! it was that fellow she loved, -that wretched salesman, the laughing-stock of his counter! It was -the humblest, the most awkward of all that she preferred to him, the -master! for he had seen them, she leaving her hand in his, and he -covering that hand with kisses. - -"I've been very good to you, mademoiselle," continued he, making a -fresh effort. "I little expected to be rewarded in this way." - -Denise, immediately on entering, had been attracted by Madame -Hédouin's portrait; and, notwithstanding her great trouble, was still -pre-occupied by it. Every time she came into the director's office her -eyes were sure to meet those of that painted lady. As a rule she was -almost afraid of her, although she knew her to have been very good. -This time, however, she felt her to be a kind of protection. - -"You are right, sir," she said, softly, "I was wrong to stop and talk, -and I beg your pardon for doing so. This young man comes from my own -part of the country." - -"I'll dismiss him!" cried Mouret, putting all his suffering into this -furious cry. - -And, completely overcome, entirely forgetting his position of director -lecturing a saleswoman guilty of an infraction of the regulations, -he broke into a torrent of violent words. Had she no shame in her? a -young girl like her to fall in love with such a being! and he even made -most atrocious accusations, introducing Hutin's name and the names of -others into the affair, with such a flood of words, that she could not -even defend herself. But he would make a clean sweep, and kick them -all out! The explanation he had resolved on, when following Jouve, had -degenerated into a violent scene of jealousy. - -"Yes, your lovers! They told me about it, and I was stupid enough to -doubt it. But I was the only one who did! I was the only one!" - -Choking and bewildered, Denise stood listening to these frightful -charges, which she had not at first understood. Did he really suppose -her to be as bad as that? At another remark, harsher than all the rest, -she silently turned towards the door. And, as he made a movement to -stop her, she said: - -"Let me alone, sir, I'm going away. If you think me what you say, I -will not remain in the house another second." - -But he rushed in front of the door, exclaiming: "Why don't you defend -yourself? Say something!" - -She stood there very stiff, maintaining an icy silence. For a long -time he pressed her with questions, with a growing anxiety; and the -mute dignity of this innocent girl once more seemed to be the artful -calculation of a woman learned in all the tactics of passion. Had she -desired it, which she did not, she could not have played a game better -calculated to bring him to her feet, tortured by doubt, desirous of -being convinced. - -"Come, you say he is from your part of the country? Perhaps you've met -there formerly. Swear that there has been nothing between you and this -fellow." - -And as she obstinately remained silent, as if still wishing to open -the door and go away, he completely lost his head, and gave way to a -supreme explosion of grief. - -"Good heavens! I love you! I love you! Why do you delight in tormenting -me like this? You can see that nothing else exists for me, that the -people I speak about only touch me through you, that you alone can -occupy my thoughts. Thinking you were jealous, I gave up all my -pleasures. You were told I had mistresses; well! I have them no longer; -I hardly set foot outside. Did I not prefer you at that lady's house? -have I not quarrelled with her in order to belong solely to you? And -I am still waiting for a word of thanks, a little gratitude. And if -you fear that I should return to her, you may feel quite easy: she is -avenging herself by helping one of our former salesmen to found a rival -establishment. Tell me, must I go on my knees to touch your heart?" - -He had come to this. He, who did not tolerate the slightest peccadillo -among the shopwomen, who turned them out for the least caprice, -found himself reduced to imploring one of them not to go away, not -to abandon him in his misery! He held the door against her, ready to -forgive her everything, to shut his eyes, if she merely deigned to -lie. And he spoke the truth, he had quite reformed; he had long since -given up Clara and had ceased to visit at Madame Desforges's house, -where Bouthemont now reigned supreme, pending the opening of the -new establishment, The Four Seasons, which was already filling the -newspapers with its advertisements. - -"Tell me, must I go on my knees?" he repeated, almost choked by -suppressed tears. - -She signed to him to cease speaking, herself quite unable to conceal -her emotion, deeply affected by his suffering passion. "You are wrong, -sir, to agitate yourself in this way," she at last replied. "I assure -you that all these wicked reports are untrue. That poor fellow you saw -just now is no more guilty than I am." - -She said this with her brave, frank air, looking with her bright eyes -straight into his face. - -"Very good, I believe you," he murmured. "I'll not dismiss any of your -comrades, since you take all these people under your protection. But -why, then, do you repulse me, if you love no one else?" - -A sudden constraint, an anxious bashfulness came upon the young girl. - -"You love some one, do you not?" he resumed, in a trembling voice. "Oh! -you may speak out; I have no claim on your affections. Do you love any -one?" - -She turned very red, her heart was in her mouth, and she felt all -falsehood impossible in the presence of the emotion which was betraying -her, the repugnance for lying which made the truth appear in her face -in spite of all. - -"Yes," she at last confessed, feebly. "But I beg you to let me go, sir, -you are torturing me." - -She was now suffering in her turn. Was it not enough to have to defend -herself against him? Must she even fight against herself, against the -gust of tenderness which sometimes took away all her courage? When -he spoke to her like this, when she saw him such a prey to emotion, -so overcome, she hardly knew why she still refused; and it was only -afterwards that, in the depths of her healthy, girlish nature, she -found the pride and prudence which maintained her intact in her -virtuous resolutions. - -Mouret gave way to a gesture of gloomy discouragement. He could not -understand her. He turned towards his table, took up some papers and -then at once laid them down again, saying: "I will detain you no -longer, mademoiselle; I cannot keep you against your will." - -"But I don't wish to go away," replied she, smiling. "If you believe me -to be innocent, I will remain. One ought always to believe a woman to -be virtuous, sir. There are numbers who are so, I assure you." - -Denise had involuntarily raised her eyes towards Madame Hédouin's -portrait; that lady so sensible and so beautiful, whose blood, they -said, had brought good fortune to the house. Mouret followed the glance -with a start, for he thought he could hear his dead wife pronounce that -phrase, one of her own sayings which he recognised. And it was like -a resurrection, he discovered in Denise the good sense, the mental -equilibrium of her whom he had lost, even down to her gentle voice, -sparing of useless words. He was struck by the resemblance, and it -rendered him sadder still. - -"You know I am yours," he murmured in conclusion. "Do what you like -with me." - -Then she resumed gaily: "That is right, sir. The advice of a woman, -however humble she may be, is always worth listening to when she has a -little intelligence. If you put yourself in my hands, you may be sure -I'll make nothing but a good man of you!" - -She smiled, with that simple unassuming air which possessed such a -charm. He also smiled in a feeble way, and escorted her as far as the -door, as he might have done with a lady. - -The next day Denise was appointed first-hand. The dress and costume -department was divided; the management creating especially for her -benefit a children's costume department, which was installed near that -of the cloaks and mantles. Ever since her son's dismissal, Madame -Aurélie had been trembling, for she found the directors cooling towards -her, and also observed the young woman's power increasing daily. Would -they not shortly take advantage of some pretext or other and sacrifice -her in favour of Denise? Her imperial countenance, puffed up with fat, -seemed to have grown thinner from the shame which now stained the -Lhomme dynasty; and she made a show of going away every evening on her -husband's arm, for they had been brought nearer together by misfortune, -and vaguely felt that the evil came from the disorder of their home; -whilst the poor old man, more affected than her, a prey as he was to a -sickly fear that he might himself be suspected of robbery, would count -the receipts twice over with a great deal of noise, performing miracles -the while with his injured arm. Accordingly when Madame Aurélie saw -Denise appointed first-hand of the children's costume department, she -experienced such delight that she paraded the most affectionate feeling -towards her, being indeed really grateful to her for not having taken -her own place. And so she overwhelmed her with attentions, treating her -as an equal, often going to talk to her in the neighbouring department, -with a stately air, like a queen-mother paying a visit to a young queen. - -In fact, Denise was now at the summit. Her appointment as first-hand -had destroyed the last resistance. If some still babbled, from that -itching of the tongue which infects every assemblage of men and -women, all nevertheless bowed very low before her face. Marguerite, -now second-hand, was full of praise for her. Clara, herself, inspired -with a secret respect for this good fortune, which she felt herself -incapable of achieving, bowed her head. But Denise's victory was still -more complete over the gentlemen; over Jouve, who now almost bent -double whenever he addressed her; over Hutin, seized with anxiety on -feeling his position giving way under him; and over Bourdoncle, at -last reduced to powerlessness. When the latter saw her come out of the -director's office, smiling, with her quiet air; and when on the morrow -Mouret had insisted on the board creating the new department, he had -yielded, vanquished by his terror of woman. He had always thus given -in to Mouret, recognising him to be the master, notwithstanding his -escapades and idiotic love affairs. This time the woman had proved the -stronger, and he was expecting to be swept away by the disaster. - -Yet Denise bore her triumph in a quiet, charming manner, touched by -these marks of consideration, and desirous of interpreting them as -sympathy for the miseries of her _débuts_ and the final success of -her patient courage. Thus it was with laughing joy that she received -the slightest tokens of friendship, and this caused her to be really -loved by some: she was so kind, sympathetic, and full of affection. -The only person for whom she still showed an invincible repugnance was -Clara, for she had learned that this girl had amused herself by leading -Colomban astray, even as she had said she would do, for a joke; and he, -carried away by his passion, was now becoming more dissipated every -day, whilst poor Geneviève was slowly dying. The affair was talked of -at The Ladies' Paradise, and thought very droll there. - -But this trouble, the only one she had outside, did not in any way -change Denise's equable temper. It was especially in her department -that she was seen at her best, in the midst of her little world of -babies of all ages. She was passionately fond of children, and could -not have been placed in a better position. Sometimes there were fully -fifty little girls and as many boys there, quite a turbulent school, -all agog with the desires of budding coquetry. The mothers completely -lost their heads. She, conciliatory and smiling, had the little ones -placed in a row, on chairs; and when among the number there happened -to be a rosy-cheeked little angel, whose pretty face tempted her, she -would insist on serving her herself, bringing the dress and trying it -on the child's dimpled shoulders, with the tender precaution of an -elder sister. Bursts of clear laughter rang out, faint cries of ecstasy -were raised amidst the scolding voices of the mothers. Sometimes a -little girl, nine or ten years old, already a grand lady in her own -estimation, would when trying on a cloth jacket stand studying it -before a glass, now and again turning round with an absorbed air, -while her eyes sparkled with the desire to please. The counters were -littered with unpacked goods, dresses in pink and blue Eastern cotton -for children of from one to five years old; sailor costumes in blue -"zephyr" with plaited skirts and blouses trimmed with cambric; Louis -XV. costumes, mantles, jackets; a medley of little garments, stiff in -their infantile grace, something like the contents of the cloak-room -of a band of big dolls, taken out of the wardrobes and given over to -pillage. Denise always had a few sweets in her pockets to appease the -tears of some youngster in despair at not being able to carry off a -pair of red breeches; and she lived there amongst these little ones as -in her own family, feeling quite young again herself from the contact -of all the innocence and freshness incessantly renewed around her -skirts. - -She now at times had long friendly talks with Mouret. Whenever she -went to the office to take orders or furnish information, he would -keep her chatting, enjoying the sound of her voice. It was what she -laughingly called "making a good man of him." In her prudent, cautious -Norman brain there sprang up all sorts of projects, ideas about the new -style of business at which she had already ventured to hint when at -Robineau's, and some of which she had expressed on the evening of their -charming walk in the Tuileries gardens. She could not be occupied in -any matter or see any work going on, without being moved by a desire to -introduce some improvement into the mechanism. Thus, since her entry -into The Ladies' Paradise, she had been particularly pained by the -precarious position of the employees; the sudden dismissals shocked -her, she thought them iniquitous and stupid, hurtful to all, to the -house as much as the staff. Her former sufferings were still fresh in -her mind, and her heart filled with pity every time she saw a new-comer -with feet bruised and eyes dim with tears, dragging her misery along -in her silk dress, amidst the spiteful persecution of the older -hands. This dog's life made the best of them bad; and the sad work of -destruction commenced: they were all devoured by the business before -the age of forty, often disappearing, falling into unknown depths, a -great many dying in harness, some of consumption and exhaustion, others -of fatigue and bad air, whilst a few were thrown on the street, and -the happiest married and buried themselves in some little provincial -shop. Was this frightful consumption of human life for which the big -shops were responsible every year, right and just? And she pleaded the -cause of the colossal machine's gearing not from sentimental reasons, -but by arguments appealing to the very interests of the employers. To -make a machine solid and strong, it is necessary to use good iron; if -the iron breaks or is broken, a stoppage of work, repeated expenses of -restarting, quite a loss of power, ensue. - -Sometimes she would become quite animated, and picture an immense -ideal bazaar, the phalansterium of modern commerce, in which each -would secure his exact share of profits, according to his merits, -with a certainty of the future, assured to him by contract. Mouret -would make merry over this, notwithstanding his fever. He accused -her of socialism, embarrassed her by pointing out the difficulties -of carrying out these schemes; for she spoke in the simplicity of -her soul, bravely trusting in the future, whenever she perceived a -dangerous gap underlying her tender-hearted plans. Nevertheless he -was shaken, captivated by her young voice which still quivered at the -thought of the hardships she had undergone, and was so instinct with -earnestness as she pointed out reforms which would tend to consolidate -the house; and even while joking with her he listened. Thus the -salesmen's positions were gradually improved, the wholesale dismissals -were replaced by a system of holidays granted during the dead seasons, -and it was decided to found a sort of benefit club which would protect -the employees against slack times and ensure them a pension. It was the -embryo of the vast trades' unions of the twentieth century. - -Moreover Denise did not confine her attention solely to the healing -of the wounds from which she had herself bled; she conceived various -delicate feminine ideas with which she prompted Mouret and which -delighted the customers. She also made Lhomme happy by supporting a -scheme he had long entertained, that of creating a band of musicians, -of which all the members should be chosen from amongst the staff. -Three months later Lhomme had a hundred and twenty musicians under his -direction, and the dream of his whole life was realized. And a grand -fête was then given on the premises, a concert and a ball, to introduce -the band of The Ladies' Paradise to the customers and the whole -world. The newspapers took the matter up, Bourdoncle himself, though -staggered by these innovations, was obliged to bow before the immense -advertisement. Afterwards came the establishment of a recreation room -for the men, with two billiard tables and backgammon and chess boards. -Then classes were held in the house of an evening; lessons were given -in English and German, in grammar, arithmetic, and geography; at -last too there were even riding and fencing lessons. A library was -also formed, ten thousand volumes were placed at the disposal of the -employees. And afterwards came a resident doctor, giving consultations -gratis; together with baths, and hair-dressing and refreshment saloons. -Every want of life was provided for, everything--board, lodging, -clothing and education--was to be obtained without going out of doors. -There, in the very heart of Paris, now all agog with the clatter of -this working city which was springing up so vigorously amidst the ruins -of the olden streets, at last opened to the sunshine, The Ladies' -Paradise sufficed entirely for all its own wants and pleasures. - -Then a further change of opinion took place in Denise's favour. As -Bourdoncle, vanquished, repeated with despair to his friends that -he would himself give a great deal to prevail upon Denise to accept -Mouret, it was concluded that she still refused to do so, and that her -all-powerfulness resulted from her refusal. From that moment she became -popular. They knew for what indulgences they were indebted to her, and -they admired her for the strength of her will. There, at all events, -was one who could master the governor, who avenged all the others, and -knew how to get something more than promises out of him! So she had -come at last, she who caused him to treat the poor and humble with a -little consideration! When she passed through the departments, with her -delicate, self-willed head, her gentle, invincible air, the salesmen -smiled at her, felt proud of her, and would willingly have exhibited -her to the crowd. She, in her happiness, allowed herself to be carried -along by this increasing sympathy. But was it all possible? She again -saw herself arriving in a shabby dress, frightened, lost amidst the -mechanism of the terrible machine; for a long time she had felt she was -nothing, barely a grain of millet beneath the millstones which were -crushing a whole world; and now to-day she was the very soul of this -world, she alone was of any consequence, able at a word to increase or -slacken the pace of the colossus lying at her feet. And yet she had -not wished for these things, she had simply presented herself, without -calculation, possessed of naught but the charm of her sweetness. Her -sovereignty sometimes caused her an uneasy surprise: why did they all -obey her? she was not pretty, she did nothing wrong. Then she smiled, -her heart at rest, feeling within herself naught but goodness and -prudence, a love of truth and logic which constituted all her strength. - -One of Denise's greatest joys at this time was to be able to assist -Pauline. The latter, now about to become a mother, was trembling, for -she knew that two other saleswomen similarly circumstanced had been -sent away. The principals did not tolerate maternity; they occasionally -allowed marriage, but would admit of no children. Pauline, it was -true, had her husband in the house; but still she felt anxious, and in -order to postpone a probable dismissal, sought to conceal her state -as long as she could. But Bourdoncle had observed that her complexion -was getting very pale and one morning while he was standing near her, -in the under-linen department, a messenger, taking away a bundle, ran -against her with such force that she cried out with pain. Bourdoncle -immediately took her on one side, made her confess, and submitted -the question of her dismissal to the board, under the pretext that -she was in need of country air. Mouret, who was not at the meeting, -could only give his opinion in the evening. But Denise having had time -to interpose, he closed Bourdoncle's mouth, in the interests of the -establishment itself. Did they wish to wound the feelings of all the -mothers and young married women amongst their customers? And so it was -decided, with great solemnity, that every married saleswoman should, -whenever necessary, be sent to a special midwife's at the Paradise's -expense. - -The next day when Denise went up to the infirmary to see Pauline, who -had been obliged to take to her bed on account of the blow she had -received, the latter kissed her heartily on both cheeks. "How kind you -are! Had it not been for you I should have been turned away. Pray don't -be anxious about me, the doctor says it's nothing." - -Baugé, who had slipped away from his department, was also there, on the -other side of the bed. He likewise stammered his thanks, disturbed in -the presence of Denise, whom he now treated as an important person of a -superior class. Ah! if he heard any more unkind remarks about her, he -would soon close the mouths of the jealous ones! But Pauline sent him -away with a good-natured shrug of the shoulders. - -"My poor dear, you're always saying something stupid. Leave us to talk -together." - -The infirmary was a long, light room, containing twelve beds with -white curtains. Those who did not wish to go home to their families -were nursed there. However, on the day in question, Pauline was the -only occupant. Her bed was near one of the large windows which looked -on to the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin. And amidst the white hangings, -in the calm atmosphere perfumed with a faint odour of lavender, they -immediately began to exchange confidences in soft, affectionate -whispers. - -"So he does just what you wish him to, all the same," said Pauline. -"How cruel you are, to make him suffer so! Come, just explain it to me, -now that I've ventured to approach the subject. Do you detest him?" - -Pauline had retained hold of Denise's hand, as the latter sat near the -bed, with her elbow resting on the bolster; and Denise was overcome by -sudden emotion. Her cheeks flushed red and, in a momentary weakness, -her secret escaped her at this direct and unexpected question. - -"I love him!" she murmured, burying her head in the pillow. - -Pauline was astonished. "What! you love him?" And, after a pause, she -asked: "So it's all to make him marry you?" - -But at this, the young girl sprang up, quite confused: "Marry me! Oh, -no! Oh! I assure you that I have never wished for anything of the kind! -No, never has such an idea entered my head; and you know what a horror -I have of all falsehood!" - -"Well, dear," resumed Pauline, kindly, "you couldn't have acted -otherwise, if such had been your intention. All this must come to an -end, and it is very certain that it can only finish by a marriage so -far as you are concerned. I must tell you that everybody here has the -same idea: yes, they are convinced that you are riding the high horse, -in order to make him take you to church. Dear me! what a funny girl you -are!" - -And then she had to console Denise, who had again sunk down with her -head on the bolster, sobbing and declaring that she would certainly go -away, since they attributed to her all sorts of things that had never -even crossed her mind. No doubt, when a man loved a woman he ought to -marry her. But she asked for nothing, she had made no calculations, she -simply begged that she might be allowed to live quietly, with her joys -and sorrows, like other people. Yes, she would go away. - -At the same moment Mouret was crossing the premises below, seeking to -forget his thoughts by visiting the works once more. Several months -had elapsed, the façade now reared its monumental proportions behind -the vast hoarding which concealed it from the public. Quite an army of -decorators, marble-cutters, mosaic-workers, and others, were at work. -The central group above the door was being gilded, whilst the pedestals -destined to support statues of the manufacturing cities of France, were -being fixed on the acroteria. Along the Rue du Dix-Décembre, lately -opened to the public, a crowd of idlers now stood from morning till -night, looking up, seeing nothing, but nevertheless interested in the -marvels related of this façade, the inauguration of which was expected -to revolutionize Paris. And it was beside this new building full of the -fever of work, amidst the artists putting the finishing touches to the -realization of his dream as commenced by the masons, that Mouret more -bitterly than ever realized the vanity of his fortune. The thought of -Denise suddenly came upon him, that thought which incessantly pierced -him with a flame, like the shooting of an incurable pain. And then he -ran away, unable to find a word of satisfaction, fearful lest he should -display his tears, and leaving behind him the disgust of triumph. That -façade, which was at last erected, seemed but trifling in his eyes, -very much like one of those walls of sand that children build, and -it might have been prolonged from one end of the city to the other, -elevated to the starry sky and yet would not have filled the void of -his heart, which only the "yes" of a mere child could satisfy. - -When Mouret returned to his office he was almost choking with sobs. -What did she want? He dared not offer her money now; but the confused -idea of marriage presented itself amidst his revolts. And, in the -debility of his powerlessness, his tears began to flow. He was indeed -very unhappy. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - -One morning in November, Denise was giving her first orders in the -department when the Baudus' servant came to tell her that Mademoiselle -Geneviève had passed a very bad night, and wished to see her -immediately. For some time the poor girl had been getting weaker and -weaker, and had been obliged to take to her bed two days before. - -"Say I am coming at once," replied Denise, feeling very anxious. - -The blow which was finishing Geneviève was Colomban's sudden -disappearance. At first, chaffed by Clara, he had grown very -dissipated; then, yielding to the wild desires which at times master -sly, chaste men, he had become her obedient slave; and one Monday -instead of returning to the shop had sent a farewell letter to Baudu, -written in the studied terms of one who is about to commit suicide. -Perhaps, at the bottom of this freak, there was also the calculating -craft of a man delighted at escaping from a disastrous marriage. The -business was in as bad a way as his betrothed, so the moment was -a propitious one for breaking with them both. And every one cited -Colomban as an unfortunate victim of love. - -When Denise reached The Old Elbeuf, Madame Baudu, with her small white -face consumed by anæmia, was there alone, sitting motionless behind -the pay-desk, and watching over the silence and emptiness of the shop. -There was no assistant now. The servant dusted the shelves; and it was -even a question of replacing her by a charwoman. A dreary cold hung -about the ceiling; hours passed by without a customer coming to disturb -the gloom, and the goods, no longer handled, became more and more musty -every day. - -"What's the matter?" asked Denise, anxiously. "Is Geneviève in danger?" - -Madame Baudu did not at first reply. Her eyes filled with tears. Then -suddenly she stammered: "I don't know; they don't tell me anything. Ah, -it's all over, it's all over." - -And she cast a dim glance round the dark shop, as if she felt that her -daughter and The Old Elbeuf were disappearing together. The seventy -thousand francs, produced by the sale of their Rambouillet property, -had in less than two years melted away in the abyss of competition. -In order to struggle against The Ladies' Paradise, which now kept -men's cloths, even materials for hunting, shooting, and livery suits, -the draper had made considerable sacrifices. But at last he had been -altogether crushed by the swan-skin cloths and the flannels sold by -his rival, an assortment that had not its equal in the market. Little -by little his debts had increased, and, as a last resource, he had -resolved to mortgage the old building in the Rue de la Michodière, -where Finet, their ancestor, had founded the business. And it was now -only a question of days, the crumbling away had nearly finished, the -very ceilings seemed to be falling and turning into dust, even an old -worm-eaten structure is carried away by the wind. - -"Your uncle is upstairs," resumed Madame Baudu in her broken voice. "We -each stay with her in turn for a couple of hours. Some one must stay -here; oh! but only as a precaution, for to tell the truth----" - -Her gesture finished the phrase. They would have put the shutters up -had it not been for their old commercial pride, which still kept them -erect in the presence of the neighbours. - -"Well, I'll go up, aunt," said Denise, whose heart ached amidst the -resigned despair that even the pieces of cloth themselves exhaled. - -"Yes, go upstairs quick, my girl. She's expecting you, she's been -asking for you all night. She had something to tell you." - -But just at that moment Baudu came down. Bile had now given his yellow -face a greenish hue, and his eyes were bloodshot. He was still walking -with the muffled tread with which he had quitted the sick room, and -murmured, as though he might be overheard upstairs, "She's asleep." - -Then, thoroughly worn out, he sat down on a chair, mopping his forehead -with a mechanical gesture and puffing like a man who has just finished -some hard work. A pause ensued, but at last he said to Denise: "You'll -see her presently. When she is sleeping, she seems to us to be all -right again." - -Again did silence fall. Face to face, the father and mother stood -looking at one another. Then, in a low voice he went over his grief -again, though without naming any one or addressing any one directly: -"With my head on the block, I wouldn't have believed it! He was the -last one, I had brought him up as a son. If any one had come and said -to me, 'They'll take him away from you as well; you'll see him fall,' -I should have replied, 'It's impossible, that can't happen as long as -there's a God on high.' But he has fallen all the same! Ah! the poor -fellow, he who was so well up in the business, who had all my ideas! -And all through a young she-ape, a mere dummy fit for a window! No! -really, it's enough to drive one mad!" - -He shook his head, with his half-closed eyes cast upon the damp floor -which the tread of generations of customers had worn. Then he continued -in a lower voice, "Shall I tell you? Well, there are moments when I -feel myself the most culpable of all in our misfortune. Yes, it's my -fault if our poor girl is lying upstairs devoured by fever. Ought I not -to have married them at once, without yielding to my stupid pride, my -obstinacy in refusing to leave them the business in a less prosperous -state than it had been before? Had I done that she would now have the -man she loved, and perhaps their youthful strength united would have -accomplished the miracle that I have failed to work. But I am an old -fool, and saw through nothing; I didn't know that people fell ill over -such things. Really, he was an extraordinary fellow: he had such a gift -for business, and such probity, such simplicity of conduct, he was so -orderly in every way--in short, my pupil." - -He raised his head, still defending his ideas, in the person of the -shopman who had betrayed him. Denise, however, could not bear to hear -him accuse himself, and carried away by her emotion, on seeing him so -humble, with his eyes full of tears, he who used formerly to reign -there as an absolute and scolding master, she told him everything. - -"Uncle, pray don't excuse him," said she. "He never loved Geneviève, he -would have run away sooner if you had tried to hasten the marriage. I -have spoken to him myself about it; he was perfectly well aware that my -poor cousin was suffering on his account, and yet you see that did not -prevent him from leaving. Ask aunt." - -Without opening her lips, Madame Baudu confirmed these words by a -nod. The draper turned paler still, blinded by his tears. And then he -stammered out: "It must have been in the blood, his father died last -year through having led a dissolute life." - -And once more he looked round the dim shop, his eyes wandering from the -empty counters to the full shelves and then resting on Madame Baudu, -who was still sitting erect at the pay-desk, waiting in vain for the -customers who did not come. - -"Well," said he, "it's all over. They've ruined our business, and now -one of their hussies is killing our daughter." - -No one spoke. The rolling of passing vehicles, which occasionally -shook the floor, seemed like a funereal beating of drums in the still -air, so stuffy under the low ceiling. But suddenly, amidst this gloomy -sadness peculiar to old expiring shops, several dull knocks were heard -proceeding from somewhere in the house. It was Geneviève, who had just -awoke, and was knocking with a stick they had left beside her. - -"Let's go up at once," said Baudu, rising with a start. "And try to be -cheerful, she mustn't know." - -He himself as he went upstairs rubbed his eyes, in order to remove the -traces of his tears. As soon as he opened the door, on the first floor, -they heard a frightened, feeble voice crying: "Oh, I don't like to be -left alone. Don't leave me; I'm afraid to be left alone." However, when -she perceived Denise, Geneviève became calmer, and smiled joyfully. -"You've come, then! How I've been longing to see you since yesterday! I -thought you also had abandoned me!" - -It was a piteous spectacle. The young woman's room, a little room into -which came a livid light, looked out on to the yard. At first her -parents had put her in their room, in the front part of the house; but -the sight of The Ladies' Paradise opposite affected her so deeply, that -they had been obliged to bring her back to her own again. And there she -lay, so very thin under the bed-clothes, that you could hardly divine -the form and existence of a human body. Her skinny arms, consumed by -the burning fever of consumption, were in a perpetual movement of -anxious, unconscious searching; whilst her black hair, heavy with -passion, seemed thicker still, and to be preying with its voracious -vitality upon her poor face, that face in which was fading the final -degenerateness of a long lineage, a family that had grown and lived in -the gloom of that cellar of old commercial Paris. Denise, her heart -bursting with pity, stood looking at her. She did not at first speak, -for fear of giving way to tears. However, she at last murmured: "I came -at once. Can I be of any use to you? You asked for me. Would you like -me to stay?" - -"No, thanks. I don't need anything. I only wanted to embrace you." - -Tears filled her eyes. Denise quickly leant over and kissed her, -trembling at the flame which came from those hollow cheeks to her own -lips. But Geneviève, stretching out her arms caught hold of her and -kept her in a desperate embrace. Then she looked towards her father. - -"Would you like me to stay?" repeated Denise. "Perhaps there is -something I can do for you." - -"No, no." Geneviève's glance was still obstinately fixed on her father, -who remained standing there with a bewildered air, almost choking. -However, he at last understood her and went away, without saying a -word. They heard his heavy footsteps descending the stairs. - -"Tell me, is he with that woman?" the sick girl then eagerly inquired -while catching hold of her cousin's hand, and making her sit down on -the edge of the bed. "Yes, I wanted to see you as you are the only one -who can tell me. They're together, aren't they?" - -In the surprise which these questions gave her Denise began to stammer, -and was obliged to confess the truth, the rumours that were current at -the Paradise. Clara, it was said, had already grown tired of Colomban, -who was pursuing her everywhere, striving to obtain an occasional -appointment by a sort of canine humility. It was also said that he was -about to take a situation at the Grands Magasins du Louvre. - -"If you love him so much, he may yet come back," added Denise seeking -to cheer the dying girl with this last hope. "Make haste and get well, -he will acknowledge his errors, and marry you." - -But Geneviève interrupted her. She had listened with all her soul, with -an intense passion which had raised her in the bed. Now, however, she -fell back. "No, I know it's all over! I don't say anything, because I -see papa crying, and I don't wish to make mamma worse than she is. But -I am going, Denise, and if I called for you last night it was for fear -of going off before the morning. And to think that he is not even happy -after all!" - -Then as Denise remonstrated with her, assuring her that she was not -so bad as all that, she again cut her short by suddenly throwing back -the bed-clothes with the chaste gesture of a virgin who has nothing to -conceal in death. Her bosom bare, she murmured: "Look at me! Is it not -the end?" - -Trembling with mingled horror and pity, Denise hastily rose from the -bed, as if she feared that her very breath might suffice to destroy -that puny emaciated form. Geneviève slowly covered her bosom again, -saying: "You see I am no longer a woman. It would be wrong to wish for -him still!" - -Silence fell between them. They continued gazing at each other, unable -to find a word to say. At last it was Geneviève who resumed: "Come, -don't stay any longer, you have your own affairs to look after. And -thanks, I was tormented by the wish to know, and now am satisfied. If -you ever see him again, tell him I forgive him. Farewell, dear Denise. -Kiss me once more, for it's the last time." - -The young woman kissed her, still protesting: "No, no, don't despair, -all you want is careful nursing, nothing more." - -But the sick girl smiled, shaking her head in an obstinate way, like -one who will not be deceived. And as her cousin at last walked towards -the door, she exclaimed: "Wait a minute, knock on the floor with this -stick, so that papa may come up. I'm afraid to stay alone." - -Then, when Baudu reached the little dismal room, where he spent long -hours seated on a chair, she assumed an air of gaiety, saying to -Denise--"Don't come to-morrow, I would rather not. But on Sunday I -shall expect you; you can spend the afternoon with me." - -The next morning, at six o'clock, Geneviève expired after four hours' -fearful agony. The funeral took place on a Saturday, a dark cloudy day, -with a sooty sky hanging low above the shivering city. The Old Elbeuf, -hung with white drapery, lighted up the street with a bright speck, and -the candles burning in the gloom seemed like so many stars enveloped in -twilight. Bead-work wreaths and a great bouquet of white roses covered -the coffin--a narrow child's coffin,--placed in the dark passage of the -house close to the pavement, so near indeed to the gutter that passing -vehicles had already splashed the drapery. With its continual rush of -pedestrians on the muddy footways the whole neighbourhood reeked of -dampness, exhaled a cellar-like mouldy odour. - -At nine o'clock Denise came over to stay with her aunt. But when the -funeral was about to start, the latter--who had ceased weeping, her -eyes scorched by her hot tears--begged her to follow the body and look -after her uncle, whose mute affliction and almost idiotic grief filled -the family with anxiety. Downstairs, the young woman found the street -full of people, for the small traders of the neighbourhood were anxious -to give the Baudus a mark of sympathy, and in their eagerness there -was a desire for a demonstration against that Ladies' Paradise, which -they accused of having caused Geneviève's slow agony. All the victims -of the monster were there--Bédoré and Sister, the hosiers of the Rue -Gaillon, Vanpouille Brothers, the furriers, Deslignières the toyman, -and Piot and Rivoire the furniture dealers; even Mademoiselle Tatin, -the dealer in under-linen, and Quinette the glover, though long since -cleared off by bankruptcy, had made it a duty to come, the one from -Batignolles, the other from the Bastille, where they had been obliged -to take situations. And whilst waiting for the hearse, which was late, -all these people, clad in black and tramping in the mud, cast glances -of hatred towards The Ladies' Paradise, whose bright windows and gay -displays seemed an insult in face of The Old Elbeuf, which, with its -funeral trappings and glimmering candles, lent an air of mourning to -the other side of the street. The faces of a few inquisitive salesmen -appeared at the plate-glass windows of the Paradise; but the colossus -itself preserved the indifference of a machine going at full speed, -unconscious of the deaths it may cause on the road. - -Denise looked round for her brother Jean, and at last perceived him -standing before Bourras's shop; whereupon she crossed over and asked -him to walk with his uncle, and assist him should he be unable to get -along. For the last few weeks Jean had been very grave, as if tormented -by some worry. That morning, buttoned up in his black frock-coat, for -he was now a full-grown man, earning his twenty francs a day, he seemed -so dignified and sad that his sister was surprised, having had no idea -that he loved their cousin so much. Desirous of sparing Pépé a needless -grief, she had left him with Madame Gras, intending to fetch him in the -afternoon to see his uncle and aunt. - -However, the hearse had still not arrived, and Denise, greatly -affected, stood watching the candles burn, when she was startled by a -well-known voice behind her. It was that of Bourras who had called a -chestnut-seller occupying a little box, against a wine shop opposite, -in order to say to him: "Here! Vigouroux, just keep a look-out on my -place, will you? You see I've taken the door handle away. If any one -comes, tell them to call again. But don't let that disturb you, no one -will come." - -Then he also took his stand at the edge of the pavement, waiting like -the others. Denise, feeling rather awkward, glanced at his shop. He -now altogether neglected it; only a disorderly collection of umbrellas -eaten up by damp and canes blackened by gas-light now remained in the -window. The embellishments that he had made, the light green paint -work, the mirrors, the gilded sign, were all cracking, already getting -dirty, exhibiting the rapid lamentable decrepitude of false luxury -laid over ruins. But although the old crevices were re-appearing, -although the damp spots had sprung up through the gilding, the house -still obstinately held its ground, hanging to the flanks of The Ladies' -Paradise like some shameful wart, which, although cracked and rotten, -yet refused to fall. - -"Ah! the scoundrels," growled Bourras, "they won't even let her be -carried away!" - -The hearse, which was at last approaching, had just come into collision -with one of The Paradise vans, which at the rapid trot of two superb -horses went spinning along shedding in the mist the starry radiance of -its shining panels. And from under his bushy eyebrows the old man cast -a side glance at Denise. - -The funeral procession started at a slow pace, splashing through -muddy puddles, amid the silence of the omnibuses and cabs which were -suddenly pulled up. When the coffin, draped with white, crossed the -Place Gaillon, the sombre looks of the followers once more plunged -into the windows of the big establishment where only two saleswomen -stood looking on, pleased with the diversion. Baudu followed the -hearse with a heavy mechanical step, refusing by a sign the arm -offered him by Jean, who walked alongside. Then, after a long string -of people, came three mourning coaches. As they crossed the Rue -Neuve-des-Petits-Champs, Robineau, looking very pale and much older, -ran up to join the procession. - -At Saint-Roch, a great many women were waiting, small traders of the -neighbourhood, who had wished to escape the crowd at the house of -mourning. The demonstration was developing into quite a riot; and -when, after the funeral service, the procession started off again, -all continued to follow, although it was a long walk from the Rue -Saint-Honoré to the Montmartre Cemetery. They had to turn up the Rue -Saint-Roch again, and once more pass The Ladies' Paradise. It was a -sort of defiance; the poor girl's body was paraded round the big shop -like that of a first victim fallen in time of revolution. At the door -some red flannels were flapping like so many flags, and a display -of carpets blazed forth in a gory efflorescence of huge roses and -full-blown peonies. Denise had now got into one of the coaches, being -agitated by such poignant doubts, her heart oppressed by such cruel -grief, that she had not the strength to walk further. In the Rue du -Dix-Décembre just before the scaffolding of the new façade which still -obstructed the thoroughfare there was a stoppage, and on looking out -the girl observed old Bourras behind all the others, dragging himself -along with difficulty close to the wheels of the coach in which she was -riding alone. He would never get as far as the cemetery, she thought. -However, he raised his head, looked at her, and all at once got into -the coach. - -"It's my confounded knees," he exclaimed. "Don't draw back! It isn't -you we hate." - -She felt him to be friendly and furious, as in former days. He -grumbled, declared that Baudu must be fearfully strong to be able to -keep up after such hard blows as he had received. The procession had -again started off at the same slow pace; and, on leaning out once -more, Denise saw her uncle walking behind the hearse with his heavy -step, which seemed to regulate the rumbling, painful march of the -cortège. Then she threw herself back into her corner and rocked by -the melancholy movement of the coach began listening to the endless -complaints of the old umbrella maker. - -"The police ought to clear the public thoroughfares, my word!" said he, -"They've been blocking up our street for the last eighteen months with -the scaffolding of their façade--another man was killed on it the other -day. Never mind! When they want to enlarge any further they'll have to -throw bridges over the streets. People say there are now two thousand -seven hundred employees, and that the turnover will amount to a hundred -millions this year. A hundred millions! just fancy! a hundred millions!" - -Denise had nothing to say in reply. The procession had just turned -into the Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, where it was stopped by a block -of vehicles. And Bourras went on, with a vague expression in his eyes, -as if he were now dreaming aloud. He still failed to understand the -triumph achieved by The Ladies' Paradise, but he acknowledged the -defeat of the old-fashioned traders. - -"Poor Robineau's done for, he looks like a drowning man," he resumed. -"And the Bédorés and the Vanpouilles, they can't keep going; they're -like me, played out. Deslignières will die of apoplexy, Piot and -Rivoire have had the jaundice. Ah! poor child! It must be comical for -those looking on to see such a string of bankrupts pass. Besides, it -appears that the clean sweep is to continue. Those scoundrels are -creating departments for flowers, bonnets, perfumery, boots and shoes, -all sorts of things. Grognet, the perfumer in the Rue de Grammont can -clear out, and I wouldn't give ten francs for Naud's boot-shop in the -Rue d'Antin. The cholera's even spread as far as the Rue Sainte-Anne. -Lacassagne, at the feather and flower shop, and Madame Chadeuil, whose -bonnets are so well-known, will be swept away in less than a couple -of years. And after those will come others and still others! All the -businesses in the neighbourhood will collapse. When counter-jumpers -start selling soap and goloshes, they are quite capable of dealing in -fried potatoes. 'Pon my word, the world is turning upside down!" - -The hearse had just then crossed the Place de la Trinité, and from the -corner of the gloomy coach Denise, who lulled by the funereal march -of the procession still listened to the old man's endless complaints, -could see the coffin ascending the steep Rue Blanche as they emerged -from the Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin. Behind her uncle, who was plodding -along with the blind, mute face of an ox about to be poleaxed, she -seemed to hear the tramping of a flock of sheep likewise being led to -the slaughter-house. It was the downfall of the shops of an entire -district, all the small traders dragging their ruin, amidst the thud -of damp shoes, through the black mud of Paris. Bourras, however, still -continued, in a fainter voice, as if fatigued by the difficult ascent -of the Rue Blanche: - -"As for me, I'm settled. But I still hold on all the same, and won't -let him go. He's just lost his appeal case. Ah! that's cost me -something: nearly two years' pleading, and the solicitors and the -barristers! Never mind, he won't pass under my shop, the judges have -decided that such work as that could not be considered legitimate -repairing. Just fancy, he talked of creating underneath my place a -saloon where his people might judge the colours of the stuffs by -gas-light, a subterranean room which would have joined the hosiery to -the drapery departments! And he can't get over it; he can't swallow the -fact that an old wreck like me should stop his progress, when all the -others are on their knees before his money. But never! I won't have -it! that's understood. Very likely I may be worsted. Since I have had -to fight against the process-servers, I know that the villain has been -buying up my bills in the hope of playing me some villainous trick. But -that doesn't matter; he says 'yes,' and I say 'no,' and I shall still -say 'no' even when I get between two boards like that poor child we are -following." - -When they reached the Boulevard de Clichy, the coach rolled on at a -quicker pace and one could hear the heavy breathing, the unconscious -haste of the followers, anxious to get the sad ceremony over. What -Bourras did not openly mention, was the frightful misery into which he -himself had fallen, bewildered by the worries which besiege the small -trader who is on the road to ruin and yet remains obstinate even under -a shower of protested bills. Denise, well acquainted with his position, -at last broke the silence by saying, in a voice of entreaty: - -"Pray don't stand out any longer, Monsieur Bourras. Let me arrange -matters for you." - -But he interrupted her with a violent gesture. "You be quiet. That's -nobody's business. You're a good little girl, and I know you lead him a -hard life, that man who thought you were for sale just like my house. -But what would you answer if I advised you to say 'yes?' You'd send me -about my business, eh? And so, when I say 'no,' don't you interfere in -the matter." - -Then, the coach having stopped at the cemetery gate, he alighted from -it with the young girl. The Baudus' vault was reached by the first -path on the left. In a few minutes the ceremony was over. Jean drew -away his uncle, who was looking into the grave all agape. The mourners -spread about amongst the neighbouring tombs, and the faces of all these -shopkeepers, their blood impoverished by living in damp, unhealthy -shops, assumed an ugly, suffering look under the leaden sky. When the -coffin gently slipped down, their blotched and pimpled cheeks paled, -and their bleared eyes, blinded by the constant contemplation of -figures, turned away. - -"We ought all to jump into that hole," said Bourras to Denise, who had -kept close to him. "In burying that poor girl they're burying the whole -district. Oh! I know what I say, the old style of business may go and -join the white roses they're throwing on her coffin." - -Denise brought her uncle and brother back in a mourning coach. The day -was for her dark and melancholy. In the first place, she began to get -anxious at seeing Jean so pale; and when she understood that it was -on account of another sweetheart she tried to quiet him by opening -her purse; but he shook his head and refused, saying it was a serious -matter this time, the niece of a very rich pastry-cook, who would not -accept even a bunch of violets. Afterwards, in the afternoon, when -Denise went to fetch Pépé from Madame Gras', the latter declared that -he was getting too big for her to keep any longer; and this was another -annoyance, for it would be necessary to find him a school, perhaps -send him away. And to crown all, on bringing Pépé to kiss his aunt and -uncle, Denise's heart was rent by the gloomy sadness of The Old Elbeuf. -The shop was closed, and the old couple were sitting in the little -dining-room, where they had forgotten to light the gas, notwithstanding -the complete obscurity in which it was plunged that winter's day. They -were now quite alone, face to face, in the house which ruin had slowly -emptied, and their daughter's death filled the dark corners with a -deeper gloom, and seemed like the beginning of that final dismemberment -which would break up the old rafters, preyed upon by damp. Beneath the -crushing blow, her uncle, unable to stop himself, still kept walking -round and round the table, with his funeral-like step, seeing nothing -and silent; whilst her aunt who said nothing either, remained huddled -together on a chair, with the white face of one who is wounded and -whose blood is running away drop by drop. They did not even weep when -Pépé covered their cold cheeks with kisses. For her part Denise was -choking with tears. - -That same evening Mouret sent for the young woman to speak to her about -a child's garment which he wished to launch, a mixture of the Scotch -and Zouave costumes. And, still trembling with pity, shocked by so much -suffering, she could not contain herself; and, to begin with, ventured -to speak of Bourras, that poor old man who was down and whom they were -about to ruin. But, on hearing the umbrella maker's name, Mouret flew -into a rage. The old madman, as he called him, was the plague of his -life, and spoilt his triumph by his idiotic obstinacy in not giving -up his house, that ignoble hovel which was a disgrace to The Ladies' -Paradise, the only little corner of the vast block that had escaped -conquest. The matter was becoming a perfect nightmare; any one else -but Denise speaking in favour of Bourras would have run the risk of -immediate dismissal, so violently was Mouret tortured by the sickly -desire to kick the old hovel down. In short, what did they wish him to -do? Could he leave that heap of ruins sticking to The Ladies' Paradise? -It would have to go, the shop must pass along. So much the worse for -the old fool! And he spoke of his repeated proposals; he had offered -him as much as a hundred thousand francs. Wasn't that fair? He never -higgled, he gave whatever money was required; but in return he expected -people to be reasonable, and allow him to finish his work! Did any one -ever try to stop engines on a railway? To all this Denise listened with -drooping eyes, unable on her side to find any but purely sentimental -reasons. The poor fellow was so old, they might have waited till his -death; a bankruptcy would kill him. Then Mouret added that he was no -longer able to prevent things following their course. Bourdoncle had -taken the matter up, for the board had resolved to put an end to it. So -she could say nothing more, notwithstanding the grievous pity which she -felt for her old friend. - -After a painful silence, Mouret himself began to speak of the Baudus, -by expressing his sorrow at the death of their daughter. They were very -worthy and very honest people but had been pursued by the worst of -luck. Then he resumed his arguments: at bottom, they had really brought -about their own misfortunes by obstinately clinging to the old customs -in their worm-eaten place. It was not astonishing that their house -should be falling about their heads. He had predicted it scores of -times; she must even remember that he had told her to warn her uncle of -a fatal disaster, if he should still cling to his stupid old-fashioned -ways. And the catastrophe had arrived; no one in the world could now -prevent it. People could not reasonably expect him to ruin himself to -save the neighbourhood. Besides, if he had been foolish enough to close -The Ladies' Paradise, another great establishment would have sprung -up of itself next door, for the idea was now starting from the four -corners of the globe; the triumph of these manufacturing and trading -centres was sown by the spirit of the age, which was sweeping away -the falling edifices of ancient times. Little by little as he went on -speaking, Mouret warmed up, and with eloquent emotion defended himself -against the hatred of his involuntary victims, against the clamour -of the small moribund businesses that he could hear around him. They -could not keep their dead above ground, he continued, they must bury -them; and, with a gesture, he consigned the corpse of old-fashioned -trading to the grave, swept into the common hole all those putrifying -pestilential remains which were becoming a disgrace to the bright, -sun-lit streets of new Paris. No, no, he felt no remorse, he was simply -doing the work of his age, and she knew it, she who loved life, who had -a passion for vast transactions settled in the full glare of publicity. -Reduced to silence, she listened to him for some time longer and then -went away, her soul full of trouble. - -That night Denise slept but little. Insomnia, interspersed with -nightmare, kept her turning over and over in her bed. It seemed to -her that she was again quite a little girl and burst into tears, in -their garden at Valognes, on seeing the blackcaps eat up the spiders, -which themselves devoured the flies. Was it then really true that it -was necessary for the world to fatten on death, that it was necessary -there should be this struggle for existence whereby humanity drew -even increase of life from the ossuaries of eternal destruction? And -afterwards she again found herself before the grave into which they had -lowered Geneviève, and then she perceived her uncle and aunt alone in -their gloomy dining-room. A dull sound as of something toppling sped -through the still atmosphere; it was Bourras's house giving way, as -if undermined by a high tide. Then silence fell again, more sinister -than ever, and a fresh crash was heard, then another, and another; the -Robineaus, the Bédorés, the Vanpouilles, were cracking and falling -in their turn; all the small shops of the Saint-Roch quarter were -disappearing beneath an invisible pick, with the sudden, thundering -noise of bricks falling from a cart. Then intense grief awoke her with -a start. Heavens! what tortures! There were families weeping, old men -thrown into the street, all the poignant dramas of ruin! And she could -save nobody; and even felt that it was right, that all this compost of -misery was necessary for the health of the Paris of the future. When -day broke, she became calmer, but a feeling of resigned sadness still -kept her awake, turned towards the window whose panes were brightening. -Yes, it was the needful meed of blood, every revolution required -martyrs, each step forward is taken over the bodies of the dead. Her -fear of being a wicked girl, of having helped to effect the ruin of her -kindred, now melted into heartfelt pity, in face of these evils beyond -remedy, which are like the labour pangs of each generation's birth. She -finished by trying to devise some possible comfort, her kindly heart -dreaming of the means to be employed in order to save her relations at -least from the final crash. - -And now Mouret appeared before her with his impassioned face and -caressing eyes. He would certainly refuse her nothing; she felt sure -that he would accord all reasonable compensations. And her thoughts -strayed, seeking to judge him. She knew his life and was aware of -the calculating nature of his former affections, his continual -"exploitation" of woman, his intimacy with Madame Desforges--the sole -object of which had been to get hold of Baron Hartmann--and with -all the others, such as Clara and the rest. But these Lothario-like -beginnings, which were the talk of the shop, gradually disappeared in -presence of the man's genius and victorious grace. He was seduction -itself. What she could never have forgiven was his former deception: -real coldness hidden beneath a gallant affectation of affection. -But she felt herself to be entirely without rancour now that he was -suffering through her. This suffering had elevated him. When she saw -him tortured by her refusal, atoning so fully for his former disdain -for woman, he seemed to her to make amends for many of his faults. - -That very morning Denise obtained from Mouret a promise of whatever -compensation she might consider reasonable on the day when the Baudus -and old Bourras should succumb. Weeks passed away, during which she -went to see her uncle nearly every afternoon, escaping from her -department for a few minutes and bringing her smiling face and girlish -courage to enliven the dark shop. She was especially anxious about her -aunt, who had fallen into a dull stupor ever since Geneviève's death; -it seemed as if her life was quitting her hourly; though, when people -questioned her, she would reply with an astonished air that she was not -suffering, but simply felt as if overcome by sleep. The neighbours, -however, shook their heads, saying she would not live long to regret -her daughter. - -One day Denise was coming from the Baudus, when, on turning the corner -of the Place Gaillon, she heard a loud cry. A crowd rushed forward, a -panic arose: that breath of fear and pity which suddenly brings all the -people in a street together. It was a brown omnibus, belonging to the -Bastille-Batignolles line, which had run over a man, at the entrance -of the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, just opposite the fountain. Standing -up in his seat, the driver whilst furiously holding in his two black -horses which were rearing cried out, in a great passion: - -"Confound it! Confound it! Why don't you look out, you idiot!" - -The omnibus had now been brought to a standstill. The crowd had -surrounded the injured man, and a policeman happened to be on the -spot. Still standing up and invoking the testimony of the outside -passengers who had also risen, to look over and see the blood-stains, -the coachman, with exasperated gestures and choked by increasing anger, -was explaining the matter. - -"It's something fearful," said he. "Who could have expected such a -thing? That fellow was walking along quite at home and when I called -out to him he at once threw himself under the wheels!" - -Then a house-painter, who had run up, brush in hand, from a -neighbouring shop-front, exclaimed in a sharp voice, amidst the -clamour: "Don't excite yourself! I saw him, he threw himself under! He -jumped in, head first, like that. Another one tired of life, no doubt!" - -Others spoke up, and all agreed that it was a case of suicide, whilst -the policeman pulled out his note-book and made an entry. Several -ladies, all very pale, quickly alighted and ran away without looking -back, filled with horror by the sudden shaking which had stirred them -when the omnibus passed over the body. Denise, however, drew nearer, -attracted by a practical pity, which prompted her to interest herself -in the victims of all sorts of street accidents, such as wounded -dogs, horses down, and tilers falling off roofs. And she immediately -recognised the unfortunate fellow who had fainted away there in the -road, his clothes covered with mud. - -"It's Monsieur Robineau!" she exclaimed, in her grievous astonishment. - -The policeman at once questioned the young woman, and she gave the -victim's name, profession, and address. Thanks to the driver's energy, -the omnibus had swerved, and thus only Robineau's legs had gone under -the wheels; however, it was to be feared that they were both broken. -Four men carried him to a chemist's shop in the Rue Gaillon, whilst the -omnibus slowly resumed its journey. - -"My stars!" said the driver, whipping up his horses, "I've done a -famous day's work." - -Denise followed Robineau into the chemist's. The latter, pending the -arrival of a doctor who was not to be found, declared that there was -no immediate danger, and that the injured man had better be taken -home, as he lived in the neighbourhood. A man then started off to the -police-station for a stretcher, and Denise had the happy thought of -going on in front so as to prepare Madame Robineau for this frightful -blow. But she had the greatest trouble in the world to get into the -street again through the crowd, which was struggling before the door of -the chemist's shop. This crowd, attracted by death, was every minute -increasing; men, women, and children stood on tip-toe, and held their -own amidst brutal pushing; and each new-comer had his version to give -of the accident, so that at last the victim was said to be a husband -who had been pitched out of window by his wife's lover. - -In the Rue Neuve-des-Petits-Champs, Denise perceived, from a distance, -Madame Robineau on the threshold of the silk warehouse. This gave her -a pretext for stopping, and she talked on for a moment, trying to find -a means of breaking the terrible news. The place wore the disorderly, -neglectful aspect of a shop in the last agony, one whose business is -fast dying. It was the inevitable end of the great battle of the rival -silks; the Paris Delight had destroyed competition by a fresh reduction -of a sou; it was now sold at four francs nineteen sous the mêtre, -and Gaujean's silk had found its Waterloo. For the last two months -Robineau, reduced to all sorts of shifts, had been leading a fearful -life, trying to avert a declaration of bankruptcy. - -"I saw your husband crossing the Place Gaillon," murmured Denise, who -had ended by entering the shop. - -Thereupon Madame Robineau, whom a secret anxiety seemed to be -continually attracting towards the street, said quickly: "Ah, a little -while ago, wasn't it? I'm waiting for him, he ought to be back by now. -Monsieur Gaujean came this morning, and they went out together." - -She was still charming, delicate, and gay; but was in a delicate state -of health and seemed more frightened, more bewildered than ever by -those dreadful business matters, which she did not understand, and -which were all going wrong. As she often said, what was the use of it -all? Would it not be better to live quietly in some small lodging, and -be contented with modest fare? - -"My dear child," she resumed with her pretty smile, which was becoming -sadder, "we have nothing to conceal from you. Things are not going -well, and my poor darling is worried to death. Again to-day this man -Gaujean has been tormenting him about some overdue bills. I was dying -with anxiety at being left here all alone." - -And she was once more returning to the door when Denise stopped her, -having heard the noise of a crowd and guessing that it was the injured -man being brought along, surrounded by a mob of idlers anxious to see -the end of the affair. And thereupon with her throat parched, unable -to find the consoling words she would have liked to say, she had to -explain the matter. - -"Don't be anxious, there's no immediate danger. I've seen Monsieur -Robineau, he has met with an accident. They are just bringing him home, -pray don't be frightened." - -The young woman listened to her, white as a sheet, and as yet not -clearly understanding her. The street was full of people, and -cab-drivers, unable to get along, were swearing, while the bearers set -the stretcher before the shop in order to open both glass doors. - -"It was an accident," continued Denise, determined to conceal the -attempt at suicide. "He was on the pavement and slipped under the -wheels of an omnibus. Only his feet are hurt. They've sent for a -doctor. Don't be frightened." - -A great shudder shook Madame Robineau. She gave vent to a few -inarticulate cries; then said no more but sank down beside the -stretcher, drawing its covering aside with her trembling hands. The men -who had brought it were waiting to take it away as soon as the doctor -should arrive. They dared not touch Robineau, who had now regained -consciousness, and whose sufferings became frightful at the slightest -movement. When he saw his wife big tears ran down his cheeks. She -embraced him, and stood looking at him fixedly, and weeping. Out in -the street the tumult was increasing; the people pressed forward as -with glistening eyes at a theatre; some girls, fresh from a workshop, -were almost pushing through the windows in their eagerness to see what -was going on. Then Denise in order to avoid this feverish curiosity, -and thinking, moreover, that it was not right to leave the shop open, -decided to let the metal shutters down. She went and turned the winch, -whose wheels gave out a plaintive cry whilst the sheets of iron slowly -descended, like the heavy draperies of a curtain falling on the -catastrophe of a fifth act. And when she went in again, after closing -the little round door in the shutters, she found Madame Robineau still -clasping her husband in her arms, in the vague half-light which came -from the two stars cut in the sheet-iron. The ruined shop seemed to -be gliding into nothingness, those two stars alone glittered on this -sudden and brutal catastrophe of the streets of Paris. - -At last Madame Robineau recovered her speech. "Oh, my darling!--oh, my -darling! my darling!" - -This was all she could say, and he, half choking, confessed himself, a -prey to keen remorse now that he saw her kneeling thus before him. When -he did not move he only felt the burning weight of his legs. - -"Forgive me, I must have been mad. But when the lawyer told me before -Gaujean that the posters would be put up to-morrow, I saw flames -dancing before my eyes as if the walls were on fire. After that I -remember nothing. I was coming down the Rue de la Michodière--and I -fancied that The Paradise people were laughing at me--that big rascally -house seemed to crush me--so, when the omnibus came up, I thought of -Lhomme and his arm, and threw myself under the wheels." - -Madame Robineau had slowly fallen on to the floor, horrified by this -confession. Heavens! he had tried to kill himself. She caught hold of -the hand of Denise who was leaning towards her, also quite overcome. -The injured man, exhausted by emotion, had just fainted away again. -The doctor had still not arrived. Two men had been scouring the -neighbourhood for him; and the doorkeeper belonging to the house had -now gone to seek him in his turn. - -"Pray, don't be anxious," Denise kept on repeating mechanically, -herself also sobbing. - -Then Madame Robineau, seated on the floor, with her head on a level -with the stretcher, her cheek resting against the sacking on which -her husband was lying, relieved her heart. "Oh! I must tell you. -It's all for me that he wanted to die. He's always saying, 'I've -robbed you; it was your money.' And at night he dreamed of those -sixty thousand francs, waking up covered with perspiration, calling -himself an incompetent fellow and saying that those who have no head -for business ought not to risk other people's money. You know that -he has always been nervous, and apt to worry himself. He finished by -conjuring up things that frightened me. He pictured me in the street -in tatters, begging--me whom he loved so dearly, whom he longed to see -rich and happy." The poor woman paused; on turning her head she saw -that her husband had opened his eyes; then she continued stammering: -"My darling, why have you done this? You must think me very wicked! I -assure you, I don't care if we are ruined. So long as we are together, -we shall never be unhappy. Let them take everything, and we will go -away somewhere, where you won't hear any more about them. You can still -work; you'll see how happy we shall be!" - -She let her forehead fall near her husband's pale face, and both -remained speechless, in the emotion of their anguish. Silence fell. -The shop seemed to be sleeping, benumbed by the pale twilight which -enveloped it; whilst from behind the thin metal shutters came the -uproar of the street, the life of broad daylight passing along with -the rumbling of vehicles, and the hustling and pushing of the crowd. -At last Denise, who went every other minute to glance through the door -leading to the hall of the house came back: "Here's the doctor!" - -It was a young fellow with bright eyes, whom the doorkeeper had found -and brought in. He preferred to examine the injured man before they -put him to bed. Only one of his legs, the left one, was broken above -the ankle; it was a simple fracture, no serious complication appeared -likely to result from it. And they were about to carry the stretcher -into the back-room when Gaujean arrived. He came to give them an -account of a last attempt to settle matters, an attempt moreover which -had failed; the declaration of bankruptcy was unavoidable. - -"Dear me," murmured he, "what's the matter?" - -In a few words, Denise informed him. Then he stopped, feeling awkward, -while Robineau said, in a feeble voice: "I don't bear you any ill-will, -but all this is partly your fault." - -"Well, my dear fellow," replied Gaujean, "it wanted stronger men than -ourselves. You know I'm not in a much better position than you are." - -They raised the stretcher; Robineau still found strength to say: "No, -no, stronger fellows than us would have given way as we have. I can -understand such obstinate old men as Bourras and Baudu standing out; -but for you and I, who are young, who had accepted the new style of -things, it was wrong! No, Gaujean, it's the last of a world." - -They carried him off. Madame Robineau embraced Denise with an eagerness -in which there was almost a feeling of joy at having at last got rid -of all those worrying business matters. And, as Gaujean went away with -the young girl, he confessed to her that Robineau, poor devil, was -right. It was idiotic to try to struggle against The Ladies' Paradise. -Personally he felt he would be lost, if he did not get back into its -good graces. The night before, in fact, he had secretly made a proposal -to Hutin, who was just leaving for Lyons. But he felt very doubtful, -and tried to interest Denise in the matter, aware, no doubt, of her -powerful influence. - -"Upon my word," said he, "so much the worse for the manufacturers! -Every one would laugh at me if I ruined myself in fighting for -other people's benefit, when those fellows are struggling as to who -shall make at the cheapest price! As you said some time ago, the -manufacturers have only to follow the march of progress by a better -organization and new methods. Everything will come all right; it is -sufficient that the public are satisfied." - -Denise smiled and replied: "Go and tell that to Monsieur Mouret -himself. Your visit will please him, and he's not the man to display -any rancour, if you offer him even a centime profit per yard." - -Madame Baudu died one bright sunny afternoon in January. For a -fortnight she had been unable to go down into the shop which a -charwoman now looked after. She sat in the centre of her bed, propped -up by some pillows. Nothing but her eyes seemed to be alive in her -white face; and with head erect, she obstinately gazed upon The Ladies' -Paradise opposite, through the small curtains of the windows. Baudu, -himself suffering from the same obsession, from the despairing fixity -of her gaze, sometimes wanted to draw the larger curtains. But she -stopped him with an imploring gesture, obstinately desirous of looking -and looking till the last moment should come. The monster had now -robbed her of everything, her business, her daughter; she herself had -gradually died away with The Old Elbeuf, losing some part of her life -as the shop lost its customers; the day it succumbed, she had no more -breath left. When she felt she was dying, she still found strength to -insist on her husband opening both windows. It was very mild, a bright -ray of sunshine gilded The Ladies' Paradise, whilst the bed-room of -the old house shivered in the shade. Madame Baudu lay there with eyes -fixed, full of that vision of the triumphal monument, those clear, -limpid windows, behind which a gallop of millions was passing. But -slowly her eyes grew dim, invaded by darkness; and when their last -gleam had expired in death, they remained wide open, still gazing, and -wet with tears. - -Once more all the ruined traders of the district followed the funeral -procession. There were the brothers Vanpouille, pale at the thought of -their December bills, met by a supreme effort which they would never -be able to repeat. Bédoré, accompanying his sister, leant on his cane, -so full of worry and anxiety that his liver complaint was getting -worse every day. Deslignières had had a fit, Piot and Rivoire walked -on in silence, with downcast looks, like men entirely played out. And -they dared not question each other about those who had disappeared, -Quinette, Mademoiselle Tatin, and others, who, in the space of a day, -sank, ruined, swept away by the flood of disasters: without counting -Robineau, still in bed, with his broken leg. But they pointed with an -especial air of interest to the new tradesmen attacked by the plague: -Grognet the perfumer, Madame Chadeuil the milliner, Lacassagne the -flower-maker, and Naud the boot-maker who were still on their legs, but -full of anxiety at thought of the evil which would doubtless sweep them -away in their turn. Baudu walked behind the hearse with the same heavy, -stolid step as when he had followed his daughter; whilst in the first -mourning coach could be seen Bourras's eyes sparkling under his bushy -eyebrows and hair of a snowy whiteness. - -Denise was in great trouble. For the last fortnight she had been -worn out with fatigue and anxiety; she had been obliged to put Pépé -to school, and had been running about on account of Jean, who was so -stricken with the pastrycook's niece, that he had implored his sister -to go and ask her hand in marriage. Then her aunt's death, this fresh -catastrophe, had quite overwhelmed the young girl, though Mouret had -again offered his services, giving her leave to do what she liked for -her uncle and the others. One morning she had yet another interview -with him, at the news that Bourras had been turned into the street, and -that Baudu was going to shut up shop. Then, she went out after lunch in -the hope of at least comforting these two. - -In the Rue de la Michodière, Bourras was standing on the foot pavement -opposite his house, whence he had been evicted on the previous day -by a fine trick, a discovery of the lawyers. As Mouret held several -bills, he had easily obtained an order in bankruptcy against the -umbrella-maker and then had given five hundred francs for the expiring -lease at the sale ordered by the court; so that the obstinate old man -had for five hundred francs allowed himself to be deprived of what he -had refused to surrender for a hundred thousand. The architect, who -came with his gang of workmen, had been obliged to employ the police -to get him out. The goods had been taken and sold, the rooms cleared; -however, he still obstinately remained in the corner where he slept, -and from which out of pity they did not like to drive him. The workmen -even attacked the roofing over his head. They took off the rotten -slates, the ceilings fell in and the walls cracked, and yet he remained -there, under the bare old beams, amidst the ruins. At last when the -police came, he went away. But on the following morning he again -appeared on the opposite side of the street, after passing the night in -a lodging-house of the neighbourhood. - -"Monsieur Bourras!" said Denise, kindly. - -He did not hear her for his flaming eyes were devouring the workmen who -were attacking the front of the hovel with their picks. Through the -glassless windows you could see the inside of the house, the wretched -rooms, and the black staircase, to which the sun had not penetrated for -the last two hundred years. - -"Ah! it's you," he replied at last, when he recognised her. "A nice bit -of work they're doing, eh? the robbers!" - -She no longer dared to speak; her heart was stirred by the lamentable -wretchedness of the old place; she was unable to take her eyes off the -mouldy stones that were falling. Up above on a corner of the ceiling of -her old room, she once more perceived that name--Ernestine--written in -black and shaky letters with the flame of a candle; and the remembrance -of her days of misery came back to her, inspiring her with a tender -sympathy for all suffering. However, the workmen, in order to knock -one of the walls down at a blow, had attacked it at its base. It was -already tottering. - -"If only it could crush them all," growled Bourras, in a savage voice. - -There was a terrible cracking noise. The frightened workmen ran out -into the street. In falling, the wall shook and carried all the rest -with it. No doubt the hovel, with its flaws and cracks was ripe for -this downfall; a push had sufficed to cleave it from top to bottom. It -was a pitiful crumbling, the razing of a mud-house soddened by rain. -Not a partition remained standing; on the ground there was nothing but -a heap of rubbish, the dung of the past cast, as it were, at the street -corner. - -"My God!" the old man had exclaimed as if the blow had resounded in his -very entrails. - -He stood there gaping; he would never have imagined that it would have -been so quickly over. And he looked at the gap, the hollow at last -yawning beside The Ladies' Paradise, now freed of the wart which had -so long disgraced it. The gnat was crushed; this was the final triumph -over the galling obstinacy of the infinitely little; the whole block -was now invaded and conquered. Passers-by lingered to talk to the -workmen, who began crying out against those old buildings which were -only good for killing people. - -"Monsieur Bourras," repeated Denise, trying to draw him on one side, -"you know that you will not be abandoned. All your wants will be -provided for." - -He raised his head. "I have no wants. You've been sent by them, haven't -you? Well, tell them that old Bourras still knows how to use his hands -and that he can find work wherever he likes. Really, it would be a fine -thing to offer charity to those whom they assassinate!" - -Then she implored him: "Pray accept, Monsieur Bourras; don't cause me -this grief." - -But he shook his bushy head. "No, no, it's all over. Good-bye. Go and -live happily, you who are young, and don't prevent old people from -sticking to their ideas." - -He cast a last glance at the heap of rubbish, and then went painfully -away. She watched him disappear, elbowed by the crowd on the pavement. -He turned the corner of the Place Gaillon, and all was over. - -For a moment, Denise remained motionless, lost in thought. Then she -went over to her uncle's. The draper was alone in the dark shop of -The Old Elbeuf. The charwoman only came in the morning and evening to -do a little cooking, and help him take down and put up the shutters. -He spent hours in this solitude, often without being disturbed during -the whole day, and bewildered and unable to find the goods when a -stray customer chanced to venture in. And there in the silence and the -half-light he walked about unceasingly, with the same heavy step as -at the two funerals; yielding to a sickly desire, to regular fits of -forced marching, as if he were trying to rock his grief to sleep. - -"Are you feeling better, uncle?" asked Denise. - -He only stopped for a second and then started off again, going from the -pay-desk to an obscure corner. - -"Yes, yes. Very well, thanks." - -She tried to find some consoling subject, some cheerful remark, but -could think of nothing. "Did you hear the noise? The house is down." - -"Ah! it's true," he murmured, with an astonished look, "that must have -been the house. I felt the ground shake. Seeing them on the roof this -morning, I closed my door." - -Then he made a vague gesture, to intimate that such things no longer -interested him. Each time he arrived in front of the pay-desk, he -looked at the empty seat, that well-known velvet-covered seat, where -his wife and daughter had grown up. Then, when his perpetual walking -brought him to the other end, he gazed at the gloom-enveloped shelves, -on which a few pieces of cloth were growing more and more mouldy. It -was a widowed house; those he loved had disappeared; his business had -come to a shameful end; and he was left alone to commune with his -dead heart and fallen pride, amidst all these catastrophes. He raised -his eyes to the black ceiling, he listened to the sepulchral silence -which reigned in the little dining-room, that family nook which he had -formerly loved so well, even to its stuffy odour. Not a breath was now -heard in the old house, his regular heavy tread made the ancient walls -resound, as if he were walking in the tomb of his affections. - -At last Denise approached the subject which had brought her. "Uncle," -said she, "you can't stay like this. You must come to a decision." - -Without stopping he replied: "No doubt; but what would you have me do? -I've tried to sell, but no one has come. One of these mornings, I shall -shut up shop and go off." - -She was aware that a failure was no longer to be feared. The creditors -had preferred to come to an understanding in presence of such a long -series of misfortunes. Everything paid, the old man would simply find -himself in the street, penniless. - -"But what will you do, then?" she murmured, seeking some transition in -order to arrive at the offer which she dared not make. - -"I don't know," he replied. "They'll pick me up all right." He had -now changed his route, going from the dining-room to the windows; and -every time he came to these windows he cast a mournful glance on the -wretchedness of the old show-goods forgotten there. His eyes did not -even turn towards the triumphal façade of The Ladies' Paradise, whose -architectural lines ran right and left, to both ends of the street. He -was thoroughly annihilated, and had not even the strength left him to -get angry. - -"Listen, uncle," said Denise at last, greatly embarrassed; "perhaps -there might be a situation for you." And after a pause she stammered, -"Yes, I am charged to offer you a situation as inspector." - -"Where?" asked Baudu. - -"Why, over the road," she replied; "at our place. Six thousand francs a -year; a very easy berth." - -He stopped suddenly in front of her. But instead of getting angry as -she feared he would, he turned very pale, succumbing to a grievous -emotion, a feeling of bitter resignation. - -"Over the road, over the road," he stammered several times. "You want -me to go there?" - -Denise herself was affected by his emotion. She recalled the long -struggle of the two shops, again saw herself at the funerals of -Geneviève and Madame Baudu, and beheld The Old Elbeuf overthrown, -utterly ruined by The Ladies' Paradise. And the idea of her uncle -taking a situation over the road, and walking about there in a white -neck-tie, made her heart leap with pity and revolt. - -"Come, Denise, my girl, is it possible?" he asked simply, crossing his -poor trembling hands. - -"No, no, uncle!" she exclaimed, in a sudden outburst of her just and -excellent nature. "It would be wrong. Forgive me, I beg of you." - -He resumed his walk and again his step resounded amidst the funereal -emptiness of the house. And, when she left him, he was still and ever -marching up and down, with the obstinate locomotion peculiar to great -despairs which turn and turn, unable to find an outlet. - -That night also proved a sleepless one for Denise. She had discovered -she really was powerless. Even in favour of her own people she was -unable to find any consolation or relief. She must to the bitter end -remain a witness of the invincible work of life which requires death -as its continual seed. She no longer struggled, she accepted this -law of combat; still her womanly soul filled with tearful pity, with -fraternal tenderness at the idea of humanity's sufferings. For years -past she herself had been caught in the wheel-work of the machine. Had -she not bled in it? Had she not been bruised, dismissed, overwhelmed -with insults? Even now she was frightened, when she felt herself chosen -by the logic of facts. Why should it be she, who was so puny? Why -should her small hand suddenly become so powerful amidst the monster's -work? And the force which swept everything away, carried her along in -her turn, she, whose coming was to be revenge. It was Mouret who had -invented this world-crushing mechanism whose brutal working shocked -her; he had strewn the neighbourhood with ruins, despoiled some, killed -others; and yet despite everything she loved him for the grandeur -of his work, loved him still more at each fresh excess of power, -notwithstanding the flood of tears which overcame her in presence of -the hallowed wretchedness of the vanquished. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - -The Rue du Dix-Décembre, quite new with its chalk-white houses and the -last remaining scaffoldings of a few unfinished buildings, stretched -out beneath a clear February sun; a stream of vehicles was passing at a -conquering pace through this gap of light, intersecting the damp gloom -of the old Saint-Roch quarter; and, between the Rue de la Michodière -and the Rue de Choiseul, there was quite a tumult, the crush of a crowd -of people who had been excited by a month's advertising, and with their -eyes in the air, were gaping at the monumental façade of The Ladies' -Paradise, inaugurated that Monday, on the occasion of a grand display -of white goods. - -There was a vast development of bright, fresh polychromatic -architecture enriched with gilding, symbolical of the tumult and -sparkle of the business inside, and attracting attention like a -gigantic window-display flaming with the liveliest colours. In order -not to bedim the show of goods, the ground-floor decoration was of a -sober description; the base of sea-green marble; the corner piers and -bearing pillars covered with black marble, the severity of which was -brightened by gilded modillions; and all the rest was plate-glass, -in iron sashes, nothing but glass, which seemed to throw the depths -of the halls and galleries open to the full light of day. However, -as the floors ascended, the hues became brighter. The frieze above -the ground-floor was formed of a series of mosaics, a garland of red -and blue flowers, alternating with marble slabs on which was cut an -infinity of names of goods, encircling the colossus. Then the base of -the first floor, of enamelled brickwork, supported large windows, above -which came another frieze formed of gilded escutcheons emblazoned with -the arms of the chief towns of France, and designs in terra-cotta, in -whose enamel one again found the light coloured tints of the base. -Then, right at the top, the entablature blossomed forth like an ardent -florescence of the entire façade, mosaics and faience reappeared with -yet warmer colourings, the zinc of the eaves was cut and gilded, while -along the acroteria ran a nation of statues, emblematical of the -great industrial and manufacturing cities, their delicate silhouettes -profiled against the sky. The spectators were especially astonished -by the central entrance which was also decorated with a profusion of -mosaics, faience, and terra-cotta, and surmounted by a freshly gilt -allegorical group, which glittered in the sun: Woman garmented and -kissed by a flight of laughing cupids. - -About two o'clock a special squad of police was obliged to make the -crowd move on, and to regulate the waiting carriages. The palace was -built, the temple raised to the extravagant folly of fashion. It -dominated everything, covering a whole district with its shadows. The -scar left on its flank by the demolition of Bourras's hovel had already -been so skilfully cicatrized that it would now have been impossible to -find the former place of that old wart. - -In their superb isolation the four frontages now ran along the four -streets, without a break. Since Baudu's retirement into a home, The Old -Elbeuf, on the other side of the way, had been closed, walled up like -a tomb, behind the shutters that were never now taken down; little by -little cab-wheels had splashed them, while posters--a rising tide of -advertisements, which seemed like the last shovelful of earth thrown -over old-fashioned commerce--covered them up and pasted them together; -and, in the middle of this dead frontage, dirtied by the mud from the -street, and streaked with tatters of Parisian puffery, a huge clean -yellow poster, announcing in letters two feet high the great sale at -The Ladies' Paradise, was displayed like a flag planted on a conquered -empire. - -It was as if the colossus, after each enlargement, full of shame and -repugnance for the dingy district in which it had modestly sprung -up, and which it had subsequently slaughtered, had just turned -its back to it, leaving the mud of the narrow streets behind, and -presenting its upstart face to the noisy, sunny thoroughfares of new -Paris. As now represented in the engravings of its advertisements, -it had grown bigger and bigger, like the ogre of the legend, whose -shoulders threatened to pierce the clouds. In the first place, in -the foreground of one engraving, were the Rue du Dix-Décembre, the -Rue de la Michodière, and the Rue Monsigny, filled with little black -figures, and endowed with wondrous breadth, as if to make room for -the customers of the whole world. Then came a bird's eye view of the -buildings themselves, of exaggerated immensity, with the roofs of the -covered galleries, the glazed courtyards in which the halls could be -divined, all the infinitude of that lake of glass and zinc shining in -the sun. Beyond, stretched Paris, but a Paris dwarfed, eaten away by -the monster: the houses, of cottage-like humbleness in the immediate -neighbourhood, faded into a cloud of indistinct chimneys; the public -buildings seemed to melt into nothingness, on the left two dashes -sufficed for Notre-Dame, to the right a circumflex accent represented -the Invalides, in the background the Panthéon looked no larger than -a lentil. The horizon crumbled into powder, became no more than a -contemptible frame-work extending past the heights of Châtillon, -out into the open country, whose blurred expanses indicated how far -extended the state of slavery. - -Ever since the morning the crowd had been increasing. No establishment -had ever yet stirred up the city with such an uproarious profusion -of advertisements. The Ladies' Paradise now spent nearly six hundred -thousand francs a year in posters, advertisements, and appeals of all -sorts; four hundred thousand catalogues were sent away, more than a -hundred thousand francs' worth of material was cut up for patterns. -It was a complete invasion of the newspapers, the walls, and the ears -of the public, as if some monstrous brass trumpet were being blown -incessantly, carrying the tumult of the great sales to the four corners -of the earth. And, for the future, this façade, before which people -were now crowding, became a living advertisement with its motley, -gilded magnificence, its windows large enough for the display of the -entire poem of woman's dress and its profusion of inscriptions painted, -engraved and cut in stone, from the marble slabs of the ground-floor -to the sheets of iron rounded off in semicircles above the roofs and -unfolding gilded streamers on which the name of the house could be read -in letters bright as the sun, against the azure blue of the sky. - -Trophies and flags had been added in honour of the inauguration; each -storey was gay with banners and standards bearing the arms of the -principal towns of France; and right at the top, the flags of foreign -nations, run up on masts, fluttered in the breeze. Down below the show -of white goods in the windows flashed with blinding intensity. There -was nothing but white; on the left a complete trousseau and a mountain -of sheets, on the right some curtains draped to imitate a chapel, and -numerous pyramids of handkerchiefs fatigued the eyes; while between the -hung goods at the door--pieces of cotton, calico, and muslin, falling -and spreading out like snow from a mountain summit--were placed some -dressed prints, sheets of bluish cardboard, on which a young bride -and a lady in ball costume, both life-size and attired in real lace -and silk, smiled with their coloured faces. A group of idlers was -constantly forming there, and desire arose from the admiration of the -throng. - -Moreover the curiosity around The Ladies' Paradise was increased by a -catastrophe of which all Paris was talking, the burning down of The -Four Seasons, the big establishment which Bouthemont had opened near -the Opera-house, hardly three weeks before. The newspapers were full -of details--the fire breaking out through an explosion of gas during -the night, the hurried flight of the frightened saleswomen in their -night-dresses, and the heroic conduct of Bouthemont, who had carried -five of them out on his shoulders. The enormous losses were covered -by insurances and people had already begun to shrug their shoulders, -saying what a splendid advertisement it was. But for the time being -attention again flowed back to The Ladies' Paradise, excited by all -the stories which were flying about, occupied to a wonderful extent by -these colossal establishments which by their importance were taking up -such a large place in public life. How wonderfully lucky that Mouret -was! Paris saluted her star, and crowded to see him still standing -erect since the very flames now undertook to sweep all competition -from before him; and the profits of his season were already being -calculated, people had begun to estimate the increase of custom which -would be brought to his doors by the forced closing of the rival house. -For a moment he had been anxious, troubled at feeling a jealous woman -against him, that Madame Desforges to whom he owed some part of his -fortune. Baron Hartmann's financial dilettantism in putting money into -both concerns, annoyed him also. Then he was above all exasperated at -having missed a genial idea which had occurred to Bouthemont, who had -prevailed on the vicar of the Madeleine to bless his establishment, -followed by all his clergy; an astonishing ceremony, a religious -pomp paraded from the silk department to the glove department, and -so on throughout the building. True, this ceremony had not prevented -everything from being destroyed, but it had done as much good as a -million francs worth of advertisements, so great an impression had it -produced on the fashionable world. From that day, Mouret dreamed of -securing the services of the archbishop. - -The clock over the door was striking three, and the afternoon crush -had commenced, nearly a hundred thousand customers struggling in the -various galleries and halls. Outside, the vehicles were stationed from -one to the other end of the Rue du Dix-Décembre, and over against -the Opera-house another compact mass of conveyances occupied the -_cul-de-sac_ where the future Avenue de l'Opéra was to commence. Public -cabs mixed with private broughams, the drivers waiting about the wheels -and the horses neighing and shaking their curb-chains which sparkled in -the sun. The lines were incessantly reforming amidst the calls of the -messengers and the pushing of the animals, which closed in of their own -accord, whilst fresh vehicles kept on arriving and taking their places -with the rest. The pedestrians flew on to the refuges in frightened -bands, the foot pavements appeared black with people in the receding -perspective of the broad straight thoroughfare. And a clamour rose up -between the white houses, a mighty caressing breath swept along, as -though Paris were opening her soul. - -Madame de Boves, accompanied by her daughter Blanche and Madame Guibal, -was standing at a window, looking at a display of costumes composed of -made-up skirts with the necessary material for bodices. - -"Oh! do look," said she, "at those print costumes at nineteen francs -fifteen sous!" - -In their square pasteboard boxes lay the costumes, each tied round -with a favour, and folded so as to show the blue and red embroidered -trimmings; and, in a corner of each box, was an engraving depicting the -garment completed, as worn by a young person resembling some princess. - -"But they are not worth more," murmured Madame Guibal. "They fall to -pieces as soon as you handle them." - -The two women had become quite intimate since Monsieur de Boves had -been confined to his arm-chair by an attack of gout. His wife put up -with the acquaintance, since in this way she picked up a little pocket -money, sums that the husband allowed himself to be robbed of, being -also in need of forbearance. - -"Well! let's go in," resumed Madame Guibal. "We must see their show. -Hasn't your son-in-law made an appointment with you inside?" - -Madame de Boves did not reply, being absorbed in contemplation of the -string of carriages, whose doors one by one opened and gave egress to -more customers. - -"Yes," said Blanche, at last, in her indolent voice. "Paul is to join -us at about four o'clock in the reading-room, on leaving the ministry." - -They had been married about a month, and Vallagnosc, after a three -weeks' leave of absence spent in the South of France, had just -returned to his post. The young woman already had her mother's portly -appearance; her flesh seemed to be more puffy and coarse since her -marriage. - -"But there's Madame Desforges over there!" exclaimed the countess, -looking at a brougham that had just pulled up. - -"Do you think so?" murmured Madame Guibal. "After all those stories! -She must still be weeping over the fire at The Four Seasons." - -However, it was indeed Henriette. On perceiving her friends, she -came up with a gay, smiling air, concealing her defeat beneath the -fashionable ease of her manner. - -"Dear me! yes, I wanted to have a look round. It's better to see for -one's self, isn't it? Oh! we are still good friends with Monsieur -Mouret, though he is said to be furious since I interested myself in -that rival establishment. Personally, there is only one thing I cannot -forgive him, and that is, to have urged on the marriage of my protégée, -Mademoiselle de Fontenailles, with that Joseph----" - -"What! it's done?" interrupted Madame de Boves. "What a horror!" - -"Yes, my dear, and solely to annoy us. I know him; he wished to -intimate that the daughters of our great families are only fit to marry -his shop messengers." - -She was getting quite animated. They had all four remained on the -pavement, amidst the crush at the entrance. Little by little, however, -they were caught by the stream and only had to yield to the current to -pass the door without being conscious of it, talking louder the while -in order to make themselves heard. They were now asking each other -about Madame Marty; it was said that poor Monsieur Marty, after some -violent scenes at home, had gone quite mad, believing himself endowed -with unexhaustible wealth. He was ever diving into the treasures of the -earth, exhausting mines of gold and loading tumbrils with diamonds and -precious stones. - -"Poor old fellow!" said Madame Guibal, "he who was always so shabby, -with his teacher's humility! And the wife?" - -"She's ruining an uncle, now," replied Henriette, "a worthy old man who -has gone to live with her, since losing his wife. But she must be here, -we shall see her." - -Surprise, however, made the ladies stop short. Before them extended -"the largest shops in the world," as the advertisements said. The grand -central gallery now ran from end to end, opening on to both the Rue du -Dix-Décembre and the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin; whilst to the right and -the left, similar to the aisles of a church, the narrower Monsigny and -Michodière Galleries, extended along the two side streets without a -break. Here and there the halls formed open spaces amidst the metallic -framework of the spiral staircases and hanging bridges. The inside -arrangements had been all changed: the bargains were now placed on the -Rue du Dix-Décembre side, the silk department was in the centre, the -glove department occupied the Saint-Augustin Hall at the far end; and, -from the new grand vestibule, you beheld, on looking up, the bedding -department which had been moved from one to the other end of the second -floor. The number of departments now amounted to the enormous total -of fifty; several, quite fresh, were being inaugurated that very day; -others, which had become too important, had simply been divided, in -order to facilitate the sales; and, owing to the continual increase of -business, the staff had been increased to three thousand and forty-five -employees for the new season. - -What caused the ladies to stop was the prodigious spectacle presented -by the grand exhibition of white goods. In the first place, there was -the vestibule, a hall with bright mirrors, and paved with mosaics, -where the low-priced goods detained the voracious crowd. Then the -galleries opened displaying a glittering blaze of white, a borealistic -vista, a country of snow, with endless steppes hung with ermine, and an -accumulation of glaciers shimmering in the sun. You here again found -the whiteness of the show windows, but vivified, and burning from one -end of the enormous building to the other with the white flame of a -fire in full swing. There was nothing but white goods, all the white -articles from each department, a riot of white, a white constellation -whose fixed radiance was at first blinding, so that details could -not be distinguished. However, the eye soon became accustomed to -this unique whiteness; to the left, in the Monsigny Gallery, white -promontories of cotton and calico jutted out, with white rocks formed -of sheets, napkins, and handkerchiefs; whilst to the right, in the -Michodière Gallery, occupied by the mercery, the hosiery, and the -woollen goods, were erections of mother of pearl buttons, a grand -decoration composed of white socks and one whole room covered with -white swanskin illumined by a stream of light from the distance. But -the greatest radiance of this nucleus of light came from the central -gallery, from amidst the ribbons and the neckerchiefs, the gloves and -the silks. The counters disappeared beneath the whiteness of the silks, -the ribbons, the gloves and the neckerchiefs. - -Round the iron columns climbed "puffings" of white muslin, secured now -and again with white silk handkerchiefs. The staircases were decorated -with white draperies, quiltings and dimities alternating along the -balustrades and encircling the halls as high as the second storey; and -all this ascending whiteness assumed wings, hurried off and wandered -away, like a flight of swans. And more white hung from the arches, a -fall of down, a sheet of large snowy flakes; white counterpanes, white -coverlets hovered in the air, like banners in a church; long jets of -guipure lace hung across, suggestive of swarms of white motionless -butterflies; other laces fluttered on all sides, floating like gossamer -in a summer sky, filling the air with their white breath. And the -marvel, the altar of this religion of white was a tent formed of white -curtains, which hung from the glazed roof above the silk counter, in -the great hall. The muslin, the gauze, the art-guipures flowed in light -ripples, whilst very richly embroidered tulles, and pieces of oriental -silver-worked silk served as a background to this giant decoration, -which partook both of the tabernacle and the alcove. It was like a -broad white bed, awaiting with its virginal immensity, as in the -legend, the coming of the white princess, she who was to appear some -day, all powerful in her white bridal veil. - -"Oh! extraordinary!" repeated the ladies. "Wonderful!" - -They did not weary of this song in praise of whiteness which the goods -of the entire establishment were singing. Mouret had never conceived -anything more vast; it was the master stroke of his genius for display. -Beneath the flow of all this whiteness, amidst the seeming disorder -of the tissues, fallen as if by chance from the open drawers, there -was so to say a harmonious phrase,--white followed and developed in -all its tones: springing into existence, growing, and blossoming with -the complicated orchestration of some master's fugue, the continuous -development of which carries the mind away in an ever-soaring flight. -Nothing but white, and yet never the same white, each different -tinge showing against the other, contrasting with that next to it, -or perfecting it, and attaining to the very brilliancy of light -itself. It all began with the dead white of calico and linen, and the -dull white of flannel and cloth; then came the velvets, silks, and -satins--quite an ascending gamut, the white gradually lighting up and -finally emitting little flashes at its folds; and then it flew away in -the transparencies of the curtains, became diffuse brightness with the -muslins, the guipures, the laces and especially the tulles, so light -and airy that they formed the extreme final note; whilst the silver of -the oriental silk sounded higher than all else in the depths of the -giant alcove. - -Meanwhile the place was full of life. The lifts were besieged -by people; there was a crush at the refreshment-bar and in the -reading-room; quite a nation was moving about in these snowy regions. -And the crowd seemed to be black, like skaters on a Polish lake in -December. On the ground-floor there was a heavy swell, ruffled by a -reflux, in which nothing but the delicate enraptured faces of women -could be distinguished. In the gaps of the iron framework, up the -staircases, on the hanging bridges, there was an endless ascent of -small figures which looked as if lost amidst the snowy peaks of -mountains. A suffocating, hot-house heat surprised one at sight of -these frozen heights. The buzz of all the voices made a great noise -like that of a river carrying ice along. Up above, the profusion of -gilding, the glass work and the golden roses seemed like a burst of -sunshine, glittering over the Alps of this grand exhibition of white -goods. - -"Come," said Madame de Boves, "we must go forward. It's impossible to -stay here." - -Since she had entered, inspector Jouve, standing near the door, had -not taken his eyes off her; and when she turned round she encountered -his gaze. Then, as she resumed her walk, he let her gain ground, but -followed her at a distance, without, however, appearing to take any -further notice of her. - -"Ah!" said Madame Guibal again stopping amidst all the jostling as she -came to the first pay-desk, "that's a pretty idea, those violets!" - -She referred to the new present made by The Ladies' Paradise, one of -Mouret's ideas, which was making a great noise in the newspapers: -small bouquets of white violets, bought by the thousand at Nice were -distributed to every lady customer who made the smallest purchase. Near -each pay-desk messengers in uniform stood delivering the bouquets under -the supervision of an inspector. And gradually all the customers were -decorated in this way, the building was filling with these white bridal -flowers, every woman diffusing as she passed a penetrating perfume of -violets. - -"Yes," murmured Madame Desforges, in a jealous voice, "it's a good -idea." - -But, just as they were moving away, they heard two salesmen joking -about these violets. A tall, thin fellow was expressing his -astonishment: was the marriage between the governor and the first-hand -in the costume department coming off, then? whilst a short, fat fellow -replied that he didn't know, but that the flowers were bought at any -rate. - -"What!" exclaimed Madame de Boves, "is Monsieur Mouret going to marry?" - -"That's the latest news," replied Madame Desforges, affecting the -greatest indifference. "However, one's bound to come to that." - -The countess darted a quick glance at her new friend. They both now -understood why Madame Desforges had come to The Ladies' Paradise -notwithstanding the hostilities attending her rupture with Mouret. No -doubt she was yielding to an invincible desire to see and suffer. - -"I shall stay with you," said Madame Guibal, whose curiosity was -awakened. "We can meet Madame de Boves again in the reading-room." - -"Very good," replied the latter. "I want to go up to the first floor. -Come along, Blanche." And she went up followed by her daughter, whilst -inspector Jouve still on her track, ascended by another staircase, -in order not to attract her attention. The two other ladies soon -disappeared in the compact crowd on the ground-floor. - -Amidst the press of business all the counters were again talking of -nothing but the governor's love matters. The affair which had for -months been occupying the employees, who were delighted at Denise's -long resistance, had all at once come to a crisis: since the previous -day it had been known that the girl intended to leave The Ladies' -Paradise, under the pretext of requiring rest, and this despite all -Mouret's entreaties. And opinions were divided. Would she leave? Would -she stay? Bets of five francs that she would leave on the following -Sunday circulated from department to department. The knowing ones -staked a lunch on it all ending in a marriage; yet, the others, those -who believed in her departure, did not risk their money without good -reasons. Certainly the girl had all the power of an adored woman who -refuses to yield; but the governor, on his side, was strong in his -wealth, his happy widowerhood, and his pride, which a last exaction -might exasperate. At all events they were all of opinion that this -little saleswoman had played her game with the science of a expert -woman of the world and was now venturing on the supreme stroke by -offering him this bargain: Marry me, or I go. - -Denise, however, thought but little of these things. She had never -imposed any conditions or made any calculation. And the reason of her -departure was the very judgment which, to her continual surprise, was -passed upon her conduct. Had she wished for all this? Had she shown -herself artful, coquettish, ambitious? No, she had simply presented -herself and had been the first to feel astonished at such a passion. -And again, at the present time, why did they ascribe her resolution to -quit The Ladies' Paradise to craftiness? It was after all so natural! -She had begun to experience a nervous uneasiness, an intolerable -anguish, amidst the continual gossip which went on in the house, and -Mouret's feverish pursuit of her, and the combats she was obliged to -wage against herself; and she preferred to go away, seized with fear -lest she might some day yield and regret it for ever afterwards. If in -all this there were any learned tactics, she was totally unaware of it, -and she asked herself in despair what she might do to avoid appearing -like one who is running after a husband. The idea of a marriage now -irritated her, and she resolved to say no, and still no should he push -his folly to that extent. She alone ought to suffer. The necessity for -the separation caused her tears to flow; but, with her great courage, -she repeated that it was necessary, that she would have no rest or -happiness if she acted in any other way. - -When Mouret received her resignation, he remained mute and cold, in the -effort which he made to contain himself. Then he curtly replied that he -granted her a week's reflection, before allowing her to commit such a -stupid action. At the expiration of the week, when she returned to the -subject, and expressed a determination to go away after the great sale, -he did not lose his temper, but affected to talk the language of reason -to her: she was playing with fortune, she would never find another -position equal to that she was leaving. Had she another situation in -view? If so, he was quite prepared to offer her the advantages she -expected to obtain elsewhere. And when the young woman replied that she -had not looked for any other situation, but intended first of all to -take a rest at Valognes, thanks to the money she had already saved, he -asked her what would prevent her from returning to The Ladies' Paradise -if her health alone were the reason of her departure. She remained -silent, tortured by this cross-examination. And thereupon he imagined -that she was about to join a sweetheart, a future husband perhaps. Had -she not confessed to him one evening that she loved somebody? From -that moment he had been carrying deep in his heart, like the stab of -a knife, the confession wrung from her. And, if this man was to marry -her, she must be giving up all to follow him: that explained her -obstinacy. It was all over; and so he simply added in an icy tone that -he would detain her no longer, since she could not tell him the real -cause of her departure. These harsh words, free from anger, upset her -far more than a violent scene such as she had feared. - -Throughout the remaining week which Denise was obliged to spend in -the house, Mouret preserved his rigid pallor. When he crossed the -departments, he affected not to see her; never had he seemed more -indifferent, more absorbed in his work; and the bets began again, only -the brave ones dared to risk a luncheon on the wedding. Yet, beneath -this coldness, so unusual with him, Mouret hid a frightful attack of -indecision and suffering. Fits of anger brought the blood seething to -his head: he saw red, he dreamed of taking Denise in a close embrace, -keeping her, and stifling her cries. Then he tried to reflect, to -find some practical means of preventing her from going away; but -he constantly ran up against his powerlessness, the uselessness of -his power and money. An idea, however, was growing amidst his wild -projects, and gradually imposing itself on him notwithstanding his -revolt. After Madame Hédouin's death he had sworn never to marry -again; having derived from a woman his first good fortune, he resolved -in future to draw his fortune from all women. It was with him, as -with Bourdoncle, a superstition that the head of a great drapery -establishment ought to remain single, if he wished to retain his -masculine sovereignty over the growing desires of his world of female -customers; for the introduction of a woman to the throne would change -the atmosphere, drive away all the others. Thus, he still resisted the -invincible logic of facts, preferring to die rather than yield, and -inflamed by sudden bursts of fury against Denise, feeling that she -was Revenge and fearing he should fall vanquished upon his millions, -broken like a mere straw by the Eternal Feminine on the day he should -marry her. Then, however, he would become cowardly again, and discuss -his repugnance: why should he tremble? she was so sweet-tempered, so -prudent, that he could abandon himself to her without fear. Twenty -times an hour the battle began afresh in his distracted mind. His pride -tended to irritate the wound, and he completely lost his reason when he -thought that, even after this last submission, she might yet say no, -ever no if she loved another. On the morning of the great sale, he had -still not decided on anything, and Denise was to leave on the morrow. - -When Bourdoncle, on the day in question, entered Mouret's private room -at about three o'clock, according to custom, he found him sitting with -his elbows on his desk, his hands over his eyes, so greatly absorbed -that he had to touch him on the shoulder. Then Mouret glanced up, -his face bathed in tears. They looked at each other, held out their -hands, and a hearty grip was exchanged by these two men who had fought -so many commercial battles side by side. For the past month moreover -Bourdoncle's manner had completely changed; he now bent before Denise, -and even secretly urged the governor on to a marriage with her. No -doubt he was thus manœuvring to save himself from being swept away by -a power which he now recognised as superior. But beneath this change -there could also have been found the awakening of an old ambition, -a timid, gradually growing hope of in his turn swallowing up that -Mouret before whom he had so long bowed. This was in the atmosphere -of the house, in the struggle for existence whose continued massacres -helped on the sales around him. He was carried away by the working of -the machine, seized by the same appetite as the others, that voracity -which, from top to bottom, urged the lean ones to the extermination of -the fat ones. Only a sort of religious fear, the religion of chance, -had so far prevented him from showing his own teeth. But now the -governor was becoming childish, drifting into a ridiculous marriage, -ruining his luck, destroying his charm over the customers. Why should -he dissuade him from it, when he might afterwards so easily pick up the -business of this weakling who fell at the feet of a woman? Thus it was -with the emotion of a farewell, the pity of an old friendship, that he -shook his chief's hand, saying: - -"Come, come, courage! Marry her, and finish the matter." - -But Mouret already felt ashamed of his momentary weakness, and got up, -protesting: "No, no, it's too stupid. Come, let's take a turn round the -place. Things are looking well, aren't they? I fancy we shall have a -magnificent day." - -They went out and began their afternoon inspection of the crowded -departments. Bourdoncle meanwhile cast side glances at his companion, -feeling anxious at this last display of energy and watching his lips -to catch the least sign of suffering. The business was now throwing -forth its fire, with an infernal roar, which made the building tremble -like a big steamer going at full speed. At Denise's counter was a crowd -of mothers with bands of little girls and boys, swamped beneath the -garments they were trying on. The department had brought out all its -white articles, and there, as everywhere else, was a riot of white fit -for the garmenting of a troop of shivering cupids: white cloth cloaks, -white piqué, nainsook and cashmere dresses, white sailor costumes, and -even white Zouave ones. In the centre, for the sake of effect, for the -proper season had not yet arrived, there was a display of confirmation -costumes, white muslin dresses and veils and white satin shoes, a light -gushing florescence like an enormous bouquet of innocence and candid -delight. Madame Bourdelais, with her three children, Madeleine, Edmond -and Lucien, seated according to their size, was getting angry with the -smallest because he continued struggling whilst Denise tried to put a -muslin-de-laine jacket on him. - -"Do keep still! Don't you think it's rather tight, mademoiselle?" she -said; and with the sharp look of a woman difficult to deceive, she -examined the stuff, studied the cut, and scrutinized the seams. "No, -it fits well," she resumed. "It's no trifle to dress all these little -ones. Now I want a mantle for this young lady." - -Denise had been obliged to assist in serving as the customers had -besieged her department in great force. She was looking for the mantle -required, when she set up a cry of surprise. - -"What! It's you! what's the matter?" - -Her brother Jean was standing before her, a parcel in his hand. He -had been married a week before, and on the Saturday his wife, a dark -little woman, with a provoking, charming face, had paid a long visit to -The Ladies' Paradise to make some purchases. The young people were to -accompany Denise to Valognes: it was to be a regular honeymoon trip, a -month's holiday which would remind them of old times. - -"Just fancy," he said, "Thérèse has forgotten a number of things. There -are some articles to be changed, and others to be bought. So, as she -was in a hurry, she sent me with this parcel. I'll explain----" - -But she interrupted him on perceiving Pépé, "What! Pépé too! and his -school?" - -"Well," said Jean, "after dinner on Sunday I had not the heart to -take him back. He will return this evening. The poor child is very -downhearted at the thought of being shut up in Paris whilst we shall be -enjoying ourselves." - -Denise smiled at them, in spite of her suffering. She handed Madame -Bourdelais over to one of her saleswomen and came back to her brothers -in a corner of the department, which was, fortunately, getting clearer. -The youngsters, as she still called them, had now grown to be big -fellows. Pépé at twelve years old, was already taller and stouter than -herself but still taciturn and living on caresses, looking, too, very -gentle in his school-uniform; whilst broad-shouldered Jean, quite a -head taller than his sister, with blonde hair blowing about in the -wind, still retained his feminine good looks. And she, always slim, no -fatter than a skylark, as she said, still retained her anxious motherly -authority over them, treating them as children in need of all her -attention, buttoning up Jean's frock coat so that he should not look -like a rake, and seeing that Pépé had got a clean handkerchief. When -she perceived the latter's swollen eyes, she gently chided him. "You -must be reasonable, my boy. Your studies cannot be interrupted," said -she. "I'll take you away at the holidays. Is there anything you want? -But perhaps you prefer to have the money." Then she turned towards the -other. "And you, youngster, it's your fault, you get making him believe -that we are going to have wonderful fun! Just try to be a little more -reasonable." - -She had given Jean four thousand francs, half of her savings, to enable -him to set up housekeeping. The younger one cost her a great deal for -schooling, indeed all her money went for them, as in former days. They -alone linked her to life and work, for she had again vowed that she -would never marry. - -"Well, here are the things," resumed Jean. "In the first place, there's -a light brown cloak in this parcel that Thérèse----" - -But he stopped, and Denise, on turning round to see what had frightened -him, perceived Mouret standing behind them. For a moment he had been -watching her acting the mother towards the two big boys, scolding -and embracing them and turning them round as mothers do babies when -changing their clothes. Bourdoncle had remained on one side, feigning -to be interested in the sales; but he did not lose sight of this little -scene. - -"They are your brothers, are they not?" asked Mouret, after a silence. - -He had the icy tone and rigid demeanour which he now assumed with her. -Denise herself made an effort to remain cold. Her smile died away, and -she replied: "Yes, sir. I've married off the eldest, and his wife has -sent him for some purchases." - -Mouret continued looking at the three of them. At last he said: "The -youngest has grown very much. I recognise him, I remember having seen -him in the Tuileries Gardens one evening with you." - -Then his voice, which was coming more slowly, slightly trembled. -She, much moved, bent down, pretending to arrange Pépé's belt. Both -brothers, who had turned scarlet, stood smiling at their sister's -employer. - -"They're very much like you," said the latter. - -"Oh!" she exclaimed, "they're much handsomer than I am!" - -For a moment he seemed to be comparing their faces. But he could endure -it no longer. How she loved them! He walked on a step or two; then -returned and whispered in her ear: "Come to my office after business. I -want to speak to you before you go away." - -This time, Mouret went off and continued his inspection. The battle -was once more raging within him, for the appointment he had just given -caused him a sort of irritation. To what idea had he yielded on seeing -her with her brothers? It was maddening to think that he could no -longer find the strength to assert his will. However, he could settle -it by saying a few words of farewell. Bourdoncle, who had rejoined him, -seemed less anxious, though he was still examining him with stealthy -glances. - -Meanwhile, Denise had returned to Madame Bourdelais. "Does the mantle -suit you, madame?" she inquired. - -"Oh yes, very well. That's quite enough for one day. These little ones -are ruining me!" - -Denise, now being able to slip off, went to listen to Jean's -explanations, and then accompanied him to the various counters, where -he would certainly have lost his head without her. First came the brown -jacket, which Thérèse now wished to change for a white cloth one of the -same size and same shape. And the young woman, having taken the parcel, -went to the mantle department, followed by her two brothers. - -The department had laid out all its light coloured garments, summer -jackets and capes, of light silk and fancy woollens. But there was -little doing there, the customers were but few and far between. Nearly -all the saleswomen were new-comers. Clara had disappeared a month -before, and some said that she had altogether gone to the bad. As for -Marguerite, she was at last about to assume the management of the -little shop at Grenoble, where her cousin was waiting for her. Madame -Aurélie alone remained there immutable, in the curved cuirass of her -silk dress and with her imperial face retaining the yellowish puffiness -of an antique marble. However, her son Albert's bad conduct was a -source of great trouble to her, and she would have retired into the -country had it not been for the inroads made on the family savings by -this scapegrace, whose terrible extravagance threatened to swallow up -the Rigolles property piece by piece. It was a sort of punishment on -them, for breaking up their home, for the mother had resumed her little -excursions with her lady friends, and the father on his side continued -his musical performances. Bourdoncle was already looking at Madame -Aurélie with a discontented air, surprised that she lacked the tact to -resign: too old for business, such was his opinion; the knell was about -to sound which would sweep away the Lhomme dynasty. - -"Ah! it's you," said she to Denise, with exaggerated amiability. "You -want this cloak changed, eh? Certainly, at once. Ah! there are your -brothers; getting quite men, I declare!" - -In spite of her pride, she would have gone on her knees to pay her -court to the young woman. In her department, as in the others, nothing -but Denise's departure was being talked of; and the first-hand was -quite ill over it, for she had been reckoning on the protection of her -former saleswoman. She lowered her voice to say: "It's reported you're -going to leave us. Really, it isn't possible?" - -"But it is, though," replied Denise. - -Marguerite was listening. Since her marriage had been decided on, -she had marched about with more disdainful airs than ever on her -putty-looking face. And she came up saying: "You are quite right. -Self-respect above everything, I say. Allow me to bid you adieu, my -dear." - -Some customers arriving at that moment, Madame Aurélie requested her, -in a harsh voice, to attend to business. Then, as Denise was taking -the cloak to effect the "return" herself, she protested, and called an -auxiliary. This, again, was an innovation suggested to Mouret by the -young woman--the engagement of persons to carry the articles about, -thus relieving the saleswomen of much fatigue. - -"Go with Mademoiselle," said the first-hand, giving the auxiliary the -cloak. Then, returning to Denise, she added: "Pray consider the matter -well. We are all heart-broken at your leaving." - -Jean and Pépé, who were waiting, smiling amidst this overflowing -torrent of women, followed their sister. They now had to go to the -under-linen department, to get four chemises like the half-dozen which -Thérèse had bought on the Saturday. But there, where the exhibition -of white goods was snowing down from every shelf, they were almost -stifled, and found it very difficult to get along. - -In the first place, at the corset counter a little scene was collecting -quite a crowd. Madame Boutarel, who had arrived in Paris from the -south, this time with her husband and daughter, had been wandering all -over the place since morning, collecting an outfit for the young lady, -who was about to be married. The father was consulted at every turn -so that it seemed they would never finish. At last they had stranded -here; and whilst the young lady was absorbed in a profound study of -some undergarments, the mother had disappeared, having cast her eyes -on some corsets she herself fancied. When Monsieur Boutarel, a big, -full-blooded man, quite bewildered, left his daughter to search for -his wife, he at last found her in a sitting-room, at the door of which -he was politely invited to take a seat. These rooms were like narrow -cells, glazed with ground glass, and not even husbands were allowed to -enter them. Saleswomen came out and went in quickly, closing the doors -behind them, while men waited outside, seated in rows on arm-chairs, -and looking very weary. Monsieur Boutarel, when he understood matters, -got really angry, crying out that he wanted his wife, and insisting on -knowing what they had done with her. It was in vain that they tried to -calm him. Madame Boutarel was obliged to come out, to the delight of -the crowd, which was discussing and laughing over the affair. - -Denise and her brothers were at last able to get past. Every article -of ladies' underwear was here displayed in a suite of rooms classified -into various departments. The corsets and dress-improvers occupied one -counter, there were hand-sown corsets, Duchess, cuirass, and, above -all, white silk corsets, fan-pointed with divers colours, these latter -forming a special display, an army of dummies without heads or legs, -nothing indeed but busts; and close by were horse-hair and other dress -improvers, often of fantastic aspect. But afterwards came articles -of fine linen, white cuffs and cravats, white fichus and collars, an -infinite variety of light trifles, a white foam which escaped from the -boxes and was heaped up like so much snow. There were loose jackets, -little bodices, morning gowns and peignoirs in linen, nainsook, and -lace, long white roomy garments, which spoke of the morning lounge. -Then appeared white petticoats of every length, the petticoat that -clings to the knees, and the long petticoat which sweeps the pavement, -a rising sea of petticoats, in which one lost oneself. - -At the trousseau department there was a wonderful display of pleating, -embroidery, valenciennes, percale and Cambric; and then followed -another room devoted to baby-linen, where the voluptuous whiteness of -woman's clothing developed into the chaste whiteness of infancy--an -innocence, a joy, the young wife become a mother, amidst flannel coifs, -chemises and caps like dolls' things, christening gowns, cashmere -pelisses, indeed all the white down of birth, like a fine shower of -white feathers. - -"They are chemises with running-strings," said Jean, who was delighted -with the rising tide of feminine attire about him. - -However, Pauline ran up as soon as she perceived Denise; and before -even asking what she wanted, began to talk in a low tone, stirred as -she was by the rumours circulating in the building. In her department, -two saleswomen had even got to quarrelling over it, one affirming and -the other denying the favourite's departure. - -"You'll stay with us, I'll stake my life. What would become of me?" -said Pauline; and as Denise replied that she intended to leave the -next day: "No, no," the other added, "you think so, but I know better. -You must appoint me second-hand, now that I've got my baby. Baugé is -reckoning on it, my dear." - -Pauline smiled with an air of conviction. Then she gave the six -chemises; and, Jean having said that he must next go to the -handkerchief counter, she called an auxiliary to carry both the -chemises and the jacket left by the auxiliary from the mantle -department. The woman who happened to answer was Mademoiselle de -Fontenailles, recently married to Joseph. She had just obtained this -menial situation as a great favour, and she wore a long black blouse, -marked on the shoulder with a number in yellow wool. - -"Follow mademoiselle," said Pauline, and then returning to Denise and -again lowering her voice, she added: "It's understood that I am to be -appointed second-hand, eh?" - -Denise promised, with a laugh, by way of joking in her turn. And she -went off, going down the stairs with Jean and Pépé, all three followed -by the auxiliary. On the ground-floor, they found themselves in the -woollen department, a gallery entirely hung with white swanskin cloth -and white flannel. Liénard, whom his father had vainly recalled to -Angers, was talking to the handsome Mignot who was now a traveller, -and had boldly reappeared at The Ladies' Paradise. No doubt they were -speaking of Denise, for they both stopped talking to bow to her with -a ceremonious air. In fact, as she passed through the departments the -salesmen appeared full of emotion and bent their heads before her, -uncertain as they were what she might be the next day. They whispered -and thought she looked triumphant; and the betting was once more -altered; they again risked bottles of Argenteuil wine and fish dinners -over the event. She had entered the linen-gallery in order to get -to the handkerchief counter, which was at the further end. The show -of white goods continued: cottons, madapolams, dimities, quiltings, -calicoes, nainsooks, muslins, tarlatans; then came the linen, in -enormous piles, the pieces ranged alternately like blocks of stone: -stout linen, fine linen, of all widths, white and unbleached, some of -pure flax, whitened in the sun; next the same thing commenced once -more, there were departments for each sort of linen: house linen, -table linen, kitchen linen, a continual crush of white goods, sheets, -pillow-cases, innumerable styles of napkins, table-cloths, aprons, and -dusters. And the bowing continued, all made way for Denise to pass, -while Baugé rushed out to smile on her, as on the good fairy of the -house. At last, after crossing the counterpane department, a room -hung with white banners, she arrived at the handkerchief counter, the -ingenious decoration of which delighted the throng; everything here was -arranged in white columns, white pyramids, white castles, an intricate -architecture, solely composed of handkerchiefs, some of lawn, others -of cambric, Irish linen, or China silk, some marked, some embroidered -by hand, some trimmed with lace, some hemstitched, and some woven -with vignettes; the whole forming a city of white bricks of infinite -variety, standing out mirage-like against an Eastern sky, warmed to a -white heat. - -"You say another dozen?" asked Denise of her brother. "Cholet -handkerchiefs, eh?" - -"Yes, like this one," he replied, showing a handkerchief in his parcel. - -Jean and Pépé had not quitted her side, but clung to her as they had -done formerly on arriving in Paris, knocked up by their journey. This -vast establishment, in which she was quite at home, ended by troubling -them; and they sheltered themselves in her shadow, placing themselves -again under the protection of this second mother of theirs as in an -instinctive re-awakening of their infancy. The employees watching -them as they passed, smiled at those two big fellows following in the -footsteps of that grave slim girl; Jean frightened in spite of his -beard, Pépé bewildered in his tunic, and all three of the same fair -complexion, a fairness which made a whisper run from one end of the -counters to the other: "They are her brothers! They are her brothers!" - -But, whilst Denise was looking for a salesman, there occurred another -meeting. Mouret and Bourdoncle had entered the gallery; and as the -former again stopped in front of the young woman, without, however, -speaking to her, Madame Desforges and Madame Guibal passed by. -Henriette suppressed the quiver which had invaded her whole being; -she looked at Mouret and then at Denise. They also had looked at her, -and it was a sort of mute _dénouement_, the common end of many great -dramas of the heart,--a glance exchanged in the crush of a crowd. -Mouret had already moved off, whilst Denise strayed into the depths -of the department, accompanied by her brothers and still in search -of a disengaged salesman. But in the auxiliary following Denise, -with a yellow number on her shoulder, and a coarse, cadaverous, -servant's-looking face, Henriette had recognised Mademoiselle de -Fontenailles, and relieved herself by saying to Madame Guibal, in an -angry voice: - -"Just see what he's doing with that unfortunate girl. Isn't it -shameful? A marchioness! And he makes her follow like a dog the -creatures he has picked up in the street!" Then she tried to calm -herself, adding, with an affected air of indifference: "Let's go and -see their display of silks." - -The silk department was like a great chamber of love, hung with white -by the caprice of some snowy maiden wishing to show off her own -spotless whiteness. Pieces of velvet hung from the columns, forming -a creamy white background against which silk and satin draperies -showed with a metallic and porcelain-like whiteness; and there were -also festoons of poult and gros grain silks, light foulards and -surahs, which varied from the dull white of a Norwegian blonde to the -transparent white, warmed by the sun, of a fair Italian or Spanish -beauty. - -Favier was just then engaged in measuring some white silk for "the -pretty lady," that elegant blonde who was such a frequent customer -at the counter, and whom the salesmen never referred to except by -that name. She had dealt at the shop for years, and yet they knew -nothing about her--neither her condition of life, her address, nor -even her name. None of them, in fact, tried to find out, although -every time she made her appearance they all indulged in suppositions -just for something to talk about. She was getting thinner, she was -getting stouter, she had slept well, or she must have been out late -the previous evening; indeed every little incident of her unknown -life, outdoor events and domestic dramas alike, found an echo at the -Paradise, and was commented on. That day, she seemed very gay; and so, -on returning from the pay-desk whither he had conducted her, Favier -remarked to Hutin: "Perhaps she's going to marry again." - -"What! is she a widow?" asked the other. - -"I don't know; but you must remember the time she was in mourning. -Perhaps she's made some money by speculating on the Bourse." A silence -ensued. At last he ended by saying: "However, that's her business. It -wouldn't do to take notice of all the women we see here." - -But Hutin was looking very thoughtful, for two days before, he had had -a warm discussion with the managers, and felt himself condemned. After -the great sale his dismissal was certain. For a long time he had felt -his position giving way. At the last stock-taking they had complained -that he had not even transacted the amount of business fixed in -advance; and moreover he was threatened by the appetites of the others, -now slowly devouring him in his turn--by all the silent warfare which -was waged in the department, amidst the very motion of the machine. -Favier's secret undermining could be heard, like a muffled sound of -jaw-bones at work underground. He had already received the promise of -the first-hand's place, but Hutin, who was aware of it, instead of -attacking his old comrade looked upon him as a clever fellow. To think -of it! A chap who had always appeared so cold, so humble, whom he had -made such use of to turn out both Robineau and Bouthemont! He was full -of mingled surprise and respect. - -"By the way," all at once resumed Favier, "she's going to stay, you -know. The governor has just been seen casting sheep's eyes at her. I -shall be let in for a bottle of champagne over it." - -He referred to Denise. The gossip was going on more than ever, passing -from one counter to the other, through the constantly increasing crowd -of customers. The silk salesmen were especially excited, for they had -been indulging in heavy bets on the affair. - -"By Jove!" exclaimed Hutin, waking up as if from a dream, "wasn't I a -flat not to pay court to her! I should be all right now!" - -Then on seeing Favier laugh he blushed at this confession, and -pretended to laugh himself, adding, as though to recall his words, that -it was she who had ruined him with the management. Then a desire for -violence seizing hold of him, he finished by getting into a rage with -the salesmen whom the assault of the customers had disbanded. But all -at once he again smiled, having just perceived Madame Desforges and -Madame Guibal slowly crossing the department. - -"What can we serve you with to-day, madame?" - -"Nothing, thanks," replied Henriette. "You see I'm merely walking -round; I've only come out of curiosity." - -However, he succeeded in stopping her, and lowered his voice. Quite a -plan was springing up in his head. He began to flatter her and run down -the house; he had had enough of it, and preferred to go away rather -than remain a witness of such disorder. She listened, delighted. It -was she herself who, thinking to deprive The Ladies' Paradise of his -services offered to get him engaged by Bouthemont as first-hand in the -silk department when The Four Seasons should start again. The matter -was settled in whispers, whilst Madame Guibal interested herself in the -displays. - -"May I offer you one of these bouquets of violets?" resumed Hutin, -aloud, pointing to a table where there were four or five bunches of the -flowers, which he had procured from a pay-desk for personal presents. - -"Ah, no, indeed!" exclaimed Henriette, recoiling. "I don't wish to take -any part in the wedding." - -They understood each other, and separated with a laugh, exchanging -glances of intelligence. Then as Madame Desforges began looking for -Madame Guibal, she set up an exclamation of surprise on seeing her -with Madame Marty. The latter, followed by her daughter Valentine, -had for the last two hours been carried through the place by one of -those spending fits whence she always emerged weary and bewildered. -She had roamed about the furniture department which a show of white -lacquered good had changed into a vast virginal chamber, the ribbon and -neckerchief departments which formed white colonnades, the mercery and -trimming departments with white fringes surrounding ingenious trophies -patiently built up of cards of buttons and packets of needles, and the -hosiery department in which there was a great crush that year to see -an immense piece of decoration--the resplendent name of "The Ladies' -Paradise" in letters three yards high, formed of white socks on a -groundwork of red ones. But Madame Marty was especially excited by the -new departments; they could indeed never open a new department but she -must inaugurate it, she was bound to plunge in and buy something. And -so at the millinery counter installed in a new room on the first-floor -she had spent an hour in having the cupboards emptied, taking the -bonnets off the stands ranged on a couple of tables, and trying all -of them, white hats, white bonnets and white togues, on herself and -her daughter. Then she had gone down to the boot department, at the -further end of a gallery on the ground-floor, behind the cravats, a -counter which had been opened that day, and which she had turned topsy -turvy, seized with sickly desire in presence of the white silk slippers -trimmed with swansdown and the white satin boots and shoes with high -Louis XV. heels. - -"Oh! my dear," she stammered, "you've no idea! They have a wonderful -assortment of bonnets. I've chosen one for myself and one for my -daughter. And the boots, eh? Valentine." - -"They're marvellous!" added the latter, with the boldness of one who is -at last married. "There are some boots at twenty francs and a half the -pair which are delicious!" - -A salesman was following them, dragging along the eternal chair, on -which a mountain of articles was already heaped. - -"How is Monsieur Marty?" asked Madame Desforges. - -"Very well, I believe," replied Madame Marty, scared by this abrupt -question, which fell ill-naturedly amidst her rage for spending. "He's -still shut up, you know; my uncle was to go to see him this morning." - -Then she paused and exclaimed: "Oh, look! isn't it lovely?" - -The ladies, who had gone on a few steps, found themselves before the -new flowers and feathers department, installed in the central gallery, -between the silks and the gloves. Under the bright light from the glass -roof there appeared an enormous florescence, a white sheaf, tall and -broad as an oak. The base was formed of single flowers, violets, lilies -of the valley, hyacinths, daisies, all the delicate white blossoms of -the garden. Then came bouquets, white roses softened by a fleshy tint, -great white peonies slightly shaded with carmine, white chrysanthemums -with narrow petals and starred with yellow. And the flowers still -ascended, great mystical lilies, branches of apple blossom, bunches of -white lilac, a continual blossoming surmounted at the height of the -first storey by tufts of ostrich feathers, white plumes, which seemed -like the airy breath of this collection of white flowers. One corner -was devoted to the display of trimmings and orange-flower wreaths. -There were also metallic flowers, silver thistles and silver ears of -corn. And amidst the foliage and the petals, amidst all the muslin, -silk, and velvet, in which drops of gum set drops of dew, fluttered -birds of Paradise for the trimming of hats, purple Tanagers with black -tails, and Kingbirds with changing rainbow-like plumage. - -"I'm going to buy a branch of apple-blossom," resumed Madame Marty. -"It's delicious, isn't it? And that little bird, do look, Valentine! I -must take it!" - -However, Madame Guibal began to feel tired of standing still in the -eddying crowd, and at last exclaimed: - -"Well, we'll leave you to make your purchases. We're going upstairs." - -"No, no, wait for me!" cried the other, "I'm going up too. There's the -perfumery department upstairs, I must see that." - -This department, created the day before, was next door to the -reading-room. Madame Desforges, to avoid the crush on the stairs, spoke -of going up in the lift; but they had to abandon the idea, there were -so many people waiting their turn. At last they arrived, passing before -the public refreshment bar, where the crowd was becoming so great -that an inspector had to restrain the outburst of appetite by only -allowing the gluttonous customers to enter in small groups. And from -this point the ladies already began to smell the perfumery department, -for its penetrating odour scented the whole gallery. There was quite a -struggle over one article, The Paradise Soap, a specialty of the house. -In the show cases, and on the crystal tablets of the shelves, were -ranged pots of pomade and paste, boxes of powder and paint, phials of -oil and toilet vinegar; whilst the fine brushes, combs, scissors, and -smelling-bottles occupied a special place. The salesmen had managed to -decorate the shelves exclusively with white porcelain pots and white -glass bottles. But what delighted the customers above all was a silver -fountain in the centre, a shepherdess standing on a harvest of flowers, -whence flowed a continuous stream of violet water, which fell with a -musical plash into the metal basin. An exquisite odour was diffused -around and the ladies dipped their handkerchiefs in the scent as they -passed. - -"There!" said Madame Marty, when she had loaded herself with lotions, -dentrifices, and cosmetics. "Now I've done, I'm at your service. Let's -go and rejoin Madame de Boves." - -However, on the landing of the great central staircase they were again -stopped by the Japanese department. This counter had grown wonderfully -since the day when Mouret had amused himself by setting up, in the -same place, a little "proposition" table, covered with a few soiled -articles, without at all foreseeing its future success. Few departments -had had more modest beginnings and yet now it overflowed with old -bronzes, old ivories and old lacquer work; it did fifteen hundred -thousand francs' worth of business a year, ransacking the Far East, -where travellers pillaged the palaces and the temples for it. Besides, -fresh departments were always springing up, they had tried two new ones -in December, in order to fill up the empty spaces caused by the dead -winter season--a book department and a toy department, which would -certainly expand and sweep away certain shops in the neighbourhood. -Four years had sufficed for the Japanese department to attract the -entire artistic custom of Paris. This time Madame Desforges herself, -notwithstanding the rancour which had made her vow not to buy anything, -succumbed before some finely carved ivory. - -"Send it to my house," said she rapidly, at a neighbouring pay-desk. -"Ninety francs, is it not?" And, seeing Madame Marty and her daughter -busy with a lot of trashy porcelains, she resumed, as she carried off -Madame Guibal, "You will find us in the reading-room, I really must sit -down a little while." - -In the reading-room, however, they were obliged to remain standing. All -the chairs round the large table covered with newspapers were occupied. -Great fat fellows were reading and lolling about without even thinking -of giving up their seats to the ladies. A few women were writing, their -faces almost on the paper, as if to conceal their letters under the -flowers of their hats. Madame de Boves was not there, and Henriette was -getting impatient when she perceived Vallagnosc, who was also looking -for his wife and mother-in-law. He bowed, and said: "They must be in -the lace department--impossible to drag them away. I'll just see." And -he was gallant enough to procure the others two chairs before going off. - -In the lace department the crush was increasing every minute. The -great show of white was there triumphing in its most delicate and -costly whiteness. Here was the supreme temptation, the goading of a -mad desire, which bewildered all the women. The department had been -turned into a white temple; tulles and guipures, falling from above, -formed a white sky, one of those cloudy veils whose fine network pales -the morning sun. Round the columns descended flounces of Malines and -Valenciennes, white dancers' skirts, unfolding in a snowy shiver to the -floor. Then on all sides, on every counter there were snowy masses of -white Spanish blonde as light as air, Brussels with large flowers on a -delicate mesh, hand-made point, and Venice point with heavier designs, -Alençon point, and Bruges of royal and almost sacred richness. It -seemed as if the god of finery had here set up his white tabernacle. - -Madame de Boves, after wandering about before the counters for a long -time with her daughter, and feeling a sensual longing to plunge her -hands into the goods, had just made up her mind to request Deloche to -show her some Alençon point. At first he brought out some imitation -stuff; but she wished to see real Alençon, and was not satisfied -with narrow pieces at three hundred francs the yard, but insisted on -examining deep flounces at a thousand francs a yard and handkerchiefs -and fans at seven and eight hundred francs. The counter was soon -covered with a fortune. In a corner of the department inspector Jouve -who had not lost sight of Madame de Boves, notwithstanding the latter's -apparent dawdling, stood amidst the crowd, with an indifferent air, but -still keeping a sharp eye on her. - -"Have you any capes in hand-made point?" she at last inquired; "show me -some, please." - -The salesman, whom she had kept there for twenty minutes, dared not -resist, for she appeared so aristocratic, with her imposing air and -princess's voice. However, he hesitated, for the employees were -cautioned against heaping up these precious fabrics, and he had allowed -himself to be robbed of ten yards of Malines only the week before. But -she perturbed him, so he yielded, and abandoned the Alençon point for a -moment in order to take the lace she had asked for from a drawer. - -"Oh! look, mamma," said Blanche, who was ransacking a box close -by, full of cheap Valenciennes, "we might take some of this for -pillow-cases." - -Madame de Boves did not reply and her daughter on turning her flabby -face saw her, with her hands plunged amidst the lace, slipping some -Alençon flounces up the sleeve of her mantle. Blanche did not appear -surprised, however, but moved forward instinctively to conceal her -mother, when Jouve suddenly stood before them. He leant over, and -politely murmured in the countess's ear, - -"Have the kindness to follow me, madame." - -For a moment she revolted: "But what for, sir?" - -"Have the kindness to follow me, madame," repeated the inspector, -without raising his voice. - -With her face full of anguish, she threw a rapid glance around her. -Then all at once she resigned herself, resumed her haughty bearing, -and walked away by his side like a queen who deigns to accept the -services of an aide-de-camp. Not one of the many customers had observed -the scene, and Deloche, on turning to the counter, looked at her as -she was walked off, his mouth wide open with astonishment. What! that -one as well! that noble-looking lady! Really it was time to have them -all searched! And Blanche, who was left free, followed her mother at -a distance, lingering amidst the sea of faces, livid, and hesitating -between the duty of not deserting her mother and the terror of being -detained with her. At last she saw her enter Bourdoncle's office, and -then contented herself with walking about near the door. Bourdoncle, -whom Mouret had just got rid of, happened to be there. As a rule, -he dealt with robberies of this sort when committed by persons of -distinction. Jouve had long been watching this lady, and had informed -him of it, so that he was not astonished when the inspector briefly -explained the matter to him; in fact, such extraordinary cases passed -through his hands that he declared woman to be capable of anything, -once the passion for finery had seized upon her. As he was aware of -Mouret's acquaintance with the thief, he treated her with the utmost -politeness. - -"We excuse these moments of weakness, madame," said he. "But pray -consider the consequences of such a thing. Suppose some one else had -seen you slip this lace----" - -But she interrupted him in great indignation. She a thief! What -did he take her for? She was the Countess de Boves, her husband, -Inspector-General of the State Studs, was received at Court. - -"I know it, I know it, madame," repeated Bourdoncle, quietly. "I have -the honour of knowing you. In the first place, will you kindly give up -the lace you have on you?" - -But, not allowing him to say another word she again protested, handsome -in her violence, even shedding tears like some great lady vilely and -wrongfully accused. Any one else but he would have been shaken and have -feared some deplorable mistake, for she threatened to go to law to -avenge such an insult. - -"Take care, sir, my husband will certainly appeal to the Minister." - -"Come, you are not more reasonable than the others," declared -Bourdoncle, losing patience. "We must search you." - -Still she did not yield, but with superb assurance, declared: "Very -good, search me. But I warn you, you are risking your house." - -Jouve went to fetch two saleswomen from the corset department. When -he returned, he informed Bourdoncle that the lady's daughter, left at -liberty, had not quitted the doorway, and asked if she also should be -detained, although he had not seen her take anything. The manager, -however, who always did things in a fitting way, decided that she -should not be brought in, in order not to cause her mother to blush -before her. The two men retired into a neighbouring room, whilst the -saleswomen searched the countess. Besides the twelve yards of Alençon -point at a thousand francs the yard concealed in her sleeve, they found -upon her a handkerchief, a fan, and a cravat, making a total of about -fourteen thousand francs' worth of lace. She had been stealing like -this for the last year, ravaged by a furious, irresistible passion -for dress. These fits got worse, growing daily, sweeping away all the -reasonings of prudence; and the enjoyment she felt in the indulgence -of them was the more violent from the fact that she was risking before -the eyes of a crowd her name, her pride, and her husband's high -position. Now that the latter allowed her to empty his drawers, she -stole although she had her pockets full of money, she stole for the -mere pleasure of stealing, goaded on by desire, urged on by the species -of kleptomania which her unsatisfied luxurious tastes had formerly -developed in her at sight of the vast brutal temptations of the big -shops.[1] - -[1] The manager of one of the great London drapery houses was telling -me, recently, that the same kind of thing is far less infrequent than -might be imagined among certain English women of fashion. And he added -that these affairs are as a rule hushed up, even as they are hushed up -in Paris. _Trans._ - -"It's a trap," cried she, when Bourdoncle and Jouve came in. "This lace -was placed on me, I swear it before Heaven." - -She was now shedding tears of rage, and fell on a chair, suffocating. -Bourdoncle sent the saleswomen away and resumed, with his quiet air: -"We are quite willing, madame, to hush up this painful affair for the -sake of your family. But you must first sign a paper thus worded: -'I have stolen some lace from The Ladies' Paradise,' followed by -particulars of the lace, and the date. However, I shall be happy to -return you this document whenever you like to bring me a sum of two -thousand francs for the poor." - -She again rose and declared in a fresh outburst: "I'll never sign that, -I'd rather die." - -"You won't die, madame; but I warn you that I shall shortly send for -the police." - -Then followed a frightful scene. She insulted him, she stammered that -it was cowardly for a man to torture a woman in that way. Her Juno-like -beauty, her tall majestic person was distorted by vulgar rage. Then she -tried to soften him and Jouve, entreating them in the name of their -mothers, and speaking of dragging herself at their feet. And as they, -however, remained quite unmoved, hardened by custom, she all at once -sat down and began to write with a trembling hand. The pen sputtered; -the words "I have stolen," madly, wildly written, went almost through -the thin paper, whilst she repeated in a choking voice: "There, sir, -there. I yield to force." - -Bourdoncle took the paper, carefully folded it, and put it in a drawer, -saying: "You see it's in company; for ladies, after talking of dying -rather than signing, generally forget to come and redeem these _billets -doux_ of theirs. However, I hold it at your disposal. You'll be able to -judge whether it's worth two thousand francs." - -But now that she had paid the forfeit she became as arrogant as ever. -"I can go now?" she asked, in a sharp tone. - -Bourdoncle was already occupied with other business. On Jouve's report, -he decided on the dismissal of Deloche, a stupid fellow, who was always -being robbed and who never had any authority over customers. Madame -de Boves repeated her question, and as they dismissed her with an -affirmative nod, she enveloped both of them in a murderous glance. Of -the flood of insulting words that she kept back, one melodramatic cry -escaped her lips. "Wretches!" said she, banging the door after her. - -Meanwhile Blanche had not strayed far from the office. Her ignorance -of what was going on inside and the coming and going of Jouve and the -two saleswomen frightened her; she had visions of the police, the -assize court, and the prison. But all at once she stopped short: for -Vallagnosc was before her, that husband whom she had married but a -month previously, and with whom she still felt rather awkward. And he -questioned her, astonished at her bewildered appearance. - -"Where's your mother? Have you lost each other? Come, tell me, you make -me feel anxious." - -Nothing in the way of a colourable fiction presented itself to her -mind, and in great distress she told him everything in a low voice: -"Mamma, mamma--she has been stealing." - -"What! stealing?" At last he understood. His wife's bloated, livid -countenance, ravaged by fear, terrified him. - -"Some lace, like that, up her sleeve," she continued stammering. - -"You saw her, then? You were looking on?" he murmured, chilled to feel -that she had been a sort of accomplice. - -They had to stop talking as several persons were already turning round. -Hesitation full of anguish kept Vallagnosc motionless for a moment. -What was to be done? He had made up his mind to go into Bourdoncle's -office, when he perceived Mouret crossing the gallery. Thereupon, -after telling his wife to wait for him, he caught hold of his old -friend's arm and informed him of the affair, in broken sentences. The -latter hastily took him into his office, where he soon put him at -rest as to the possible consequences. He assured him that he need not -interfere, and without appearing at all excited about this robbery, -as if he had foreseen it long ago, he explained in what way it would -all be arranged. Vallagnosc, however, even when he no longer feared -an immediate arrest, did not accept the affair with this admirable -coolness. He had thrown himself into an arm-chair, and now that he -could discuss the matter, began to lament his own unfortunate position. -Was it possible that he had married into a family of thieves? A stupid -marriage that he had drifted into, just to please his wife's father! -Surprised by his childish violence, Mouret watched him weeping, -thinking the while of his former pessimist boasting. Had he not scores -of times proclaimed the nothingness of life, in which wrong-doing alone -had any attraction? And by way of diversion Mouret amused himself for -a minute, by preaching indifference to his friend, in a friendly, -bantering tone. But at this Vallagnosc got angry: he was quite unable -to recover his philosophy, and with his middle-class breeding burst -into virtuously indignant cries against his mother-in-law. As soon -as trouble fell on himself, as soon as he was just touched by human -suffering, at which he had always coldly laughed, the boastful sceptic -collapsed and bled. It was abominable, they were dragging the honour of -his race into the gutter, the world seemed to be coming to an end. - -"Come, calm yourself," concluded Mouret, stricken with pity. "I won't -tell you that everything happens and nothing happens, because that does -not seem to comfort you just now. But I think that you ought to go and -offer your arm to Madame de Boves--that would be more sensible than -causing a scandal. The deuce! to think of it, you who professed such -scorn for the universal rascality of the present day!" - -"Of course," cried Vallagnosc, innocently, "when it is a question of -other people!" - -However, he got up, and followed his old school-fellow's advice. -Both were returning to the gallery when Madame de Boves came out of -Bourdoncle's office. She accepted her son-in-law's arm with a majestic -air, and as Mouret bowed to her with respectful gallantry, he heard -her saying: "They've apologized to me. Really, these mistakes are -abominable." - -Blanche joined them, and they soon disappeared in the crowd. Then -Mouret, alone and pensive, crossed the shop once more. This scene, -which had diverted his thoughts from the struggle going on within him, -now increased his fever, and decided him to make a supreme effort. A -vague connection arose in his mind: the robbery perpetrated by that -unfortunate woman, that last folly of the conquered customer laid low -at the feet of the tempter, evoked the proud and avenging image of -Denise, whose victorious heel he could feel upon his throat. He stopped -at the top of the central staircase, and gazed for a long time into the -immense nave, where his nation of women was swarming. - -Six o'clock was about to strike, the daylight decreasing out-of-doors -was gradually forsaking the covered galleries, already dim, and even -waning in the halls which gloom was slowly invading. And in this -uncertain glimmer, the electric lamps lighted up one by one, their -globes of an opaque whiteness studding with moons the distant depths -of the departments. It was a white brightness of a blinding fixity, -spreading like the radiance of a discoloured star and killing the -twilight. Then, when all were lighted, there came a delighted murmur -from the crowd, and the great show of white goods assumed a fairy -splendour. It seemed as if this colossal orgie of white was also -burning, itself becoming so much light. The song of the white seemed -to soar upward in the flaming whiteness of an aurora. A white glimmer -darted from the linen and calico department in the Monsigny Gallery, -like the first bright streak which lights up the eastern sky; whilst -along the Michodière Gallery, the mercery and the passementerie, -the fancy-goods and the ribbons threw out reflections of distant -hills--with the white flash of mother-of-pearl buttons, silvered -bronzes and sparkling beads. But the central nave especially was -filled with a blaze of white: the white muslin "puffings" round the -columns, the white dimities and piqués draping the staircases, the -white counterpanes drooping like banners, the white guipures and laces -flying in the air, opened up a firmament of dreamland, a vista of the -dazzling whiteness of some paradise, where the marriage of an unknown -queen was being celebrated. The tent of the silk-hall was this heaven's -giant alcove, with white curtains, white gauzes and white tulles, whose -shimmer screened the bride in her white nudity from the gaze of the -curious. There was now nothing but this blinding nucleus of white light -in which all other whites were merged, this snowy starry dust twinkling -in the clear radiance. - -And Mouret still continued to watch his nation of women, amidst the -shimmering blaze. Their black shadows stood out vigorously against -the pale backgrounds. Long eddies would now and again part the crowd; -the fever of the day's great sale swept past like a frenzy through -the disorderly, billowy sea of heads. People were beginning to leave; -pillaged stuffs encumbered all the counters, and gold was chinking in -the tills whilst the customers went off, their purses emptied, and -their heads turned by the wealth of luxury amidst which they had been -wandering all day. It was he who possessed them thus, who held them at -his mercy by his continuous displays of novelties, his reductions of -prices, and his "returns," his gallantry, puffery, and advertisements. -He had conquered even the mothers, he reigned over all with the -brutality of a despot, whose caprices ruined many a household. His -creation was a sort of new religion; the churches, gradually deserted -by wavering faith, were replaced by his bazaar, in the minds of the -idle women of Paris. Woman now came and spent her leisure time in his -establishment, those shivering anxious hours which she had formerly -passed in churches: a necessary consumption of nervous passion, an -ever renewed struggle of the god of dress against the husband, an -ever renewed worship of the body with the promise of future divine -beauty. If he had closed his doors, there would have been a rising -in the street, the despairing cry of worshippers deprived of their -confessional and altar! In their still growing passion for luxury, he -saw them, notwithstanding the lateness of the hour yet obstinately -lingering in the huge iron building, on the suspended staircases and -flying bridges. Madame Marty and her daughter, carried away to the -highest point, were wandering amongst the furniture. Madame Bourdelais, -retained by her young people, could not get away from the fancy goods. -And then came another group, Madame de Boves, still on Vallagnosc's -arm, and followed by Blanche, stopping in each department and still -daring to examine the goods with her superb air. But amidst the crowded -sea of customers, that sea of bodies inflated with life and beating -with desire, one and all decorated with bunches of violets, as though -for the bridal of some sovereign, Mouret could now only distinguish the -figure of Madame Desforges, who had stopped in the glove department -with Madame Guibal. Despite her jealous rancour, she also was buying, -and he felt himself to be the master once more, having them at his -feet, beneath the dazzle of the electric light, like a drove of cattle -from which he had drawn his fortune. - -With a mechanical step, Mouret went along the galleries, so absorbed -that he yielded to the pushing of the crowd. When he raised his head -again he found himself in the new millinery department, the windows -of which overlooked the Rue du Dix-Décembre. And there, his forehead -against the glass, he made another halt and watched the departure -of the throng. The setting sun was tinging the roofs of the white -houses with yellow, the blue sky was growing paler, refreshed by a -pure breeze; whilst in the twilight, which was already enveloping the -side-walks down below, the electric lamps of The Ladies' Paradise threw -forth the fixed glimmer of stars, lighted on the horizon at the decline -of day. Towards the Opera-house and the Bourse were rows of waiting -vehicles, the harness of the horses still presenting reflections of -bright light, the gleam of a lamp, the glitter of a silver chain. At -each minute the cry of a messenger was heard, and a cab drew near, or -a brougham came forth from the ranks, took up a customer and went off -at a rapid trot. The rows of conveyances were now diminishing, six -went off at a time, occupying the whole street from one side to the -other, amidst the banging of doors, the snapping of whips, and the -hum of the passers-by, who swarmed between the wheels. There was a -sort of continuous enlargement, a spreading of the customers, carried -off to the four corners of the city, as the building emptied with the -roaring clamour of a sluice. And the roof of The Ladies' Paradise, the -big golden letters of the sky signs, the banners fluttering in the -heavens, still flamed with the reflections of the setting sun, looking -so colossal in the oblique light that they evoked the thought of some -monster of advertising, some phalansterium whose buildings, incessantly -multiplied, in turn covered up every district, as far as the distant -woods of the suburbs. And the spreading soul of Paris, in a huge but -gentle breath, sank asleep in the serenity of the evening, hovering in -prolonged, languid caresses over the last vehicles which were spinning -through the streets, now slowly deserted by the crowd as it disappeared -into the darkness of the night. - -Mouret, gazing around, had just felt something grand in himself; -but, amid the quiver of triumph with which his flesh trembled, in -face of Paris devoured and woman conquered, he experienced a sudden -weakness, a defection of his strong will, by which in his turn he was -overthrown beneath a superior force. It was an unreasonable longing to -be vanquished amidst his victory, the nonsense of a warrior bending -beneath the caprice of a child, on the morrow of his conquests. He who -had struggled for months, who even that morning had sworn to stifle his -passion, all at once yielded, seized by the vertigo which overcomes one -on mountain heights, happy to commit what he looked upon as folly. His -decision, so rapidly arrived at, acquired in a minute such energy that -he saw nothing else useful and necessary in the world. - -In the evening, after the last dinner, he sat waiting in his office, -trembling like a young man about to stake his life's happiness, unable -to keep still but incessantly going towards the door to listen to the -hubbub in the shop, where the employees, submerged to the shoulders in -a sea of stuffs, were now doing the folding up. At each footstep his -heart beat. And all at once he experienced violent emotion, and rushed -forward, for he had heard in the distance a deep murmur, which had -gradually increased. - -It was Lhomme slowly approaching with the day's receipts. That day they -were so heavy, there was such a quantity of silver and copper, that -he had been obliged to enlist the services of two messengers. Behind -him came Joseph and one of his colleagues, both bending beneath the -weight of the bags, enormous bags, thrown on their shoulders like sacks -of plaster, whilst he walked on in front with the notes and gold, a -note-book swollen with flimsies, and two bags hung round his neck, the -weight of which made him sway to the right, the same side as his broken -arm. Slowly, perspiring and puffing, he had come from the other end of -the shop amidst the growing emotion of the salesmen. The employees in -the glove and silk departments had laughingly offered to relieve him of -his burden, the men in the drapery and woollen departments had longed -to see him make a false step, which would have scattered the gold all -over the place. Then he had been obliged to mount the stairs, and cross -a bridge and then go higher still, turning about amidst the longing -looks of the employees of the linen, hosiery, and mercery departments, -who gazed in ecstasy at this fortune travelling in the air. On the -first-floor the mantle, perfumery, lace, and shawl employees were -ranged devoutly as for the passage of the Blessed Sacrament. And from -counter to counter a tumult arose, like the clamour of a nation bowing -down before the Golden Calf. - -Mouret had opened the door, and Lhomme appeared, followed by the two -messengers, who were staggering; and, out of breath though he was, the -cashier still had strength to cry out: "One million two hundred and -forty-seven francs, nineteen sous!" - -At last the million had been attained, that million picked up in -a day, of which Mouret had so long dreamed. But he gave way to an -angry gesture, and with the disappointed air of a man disturbed by -some troublesome visitor, he impatiently exclaimed, "A million! very -good, put it there." Lhomme knew that he was fond of seeing the heavy -receipts on his table before they were taken to the central cash -office. The million covered the whole table, crushing the papers and -almost overturning the ink; and the gold and the silver and the copper -running out of the sacks and bursting the leather bags, formed a great -heap, the heap of the gross receipts, such as it came still warm and -palpitating from the customers' hands. - -Just as the cashier was going away, heart-broken at the governor's -indifference, Bourdoncle arrived, gaily exclaiming: "Ah! we've got it -this time. We've hooked the million, eh?" - -But on observing Mouret's febrile air he understood the situation and -calmed down. His face was beaming with delight; and after a short -silence he resumed: "You've made up your mind, haven't you? Well, I -approve your decision." - -All at once, however, Mouret planted himself before him, and in his -terrible voice thundered: "I say, my man, you're rather too lively. You -think me played out, don't you? and you feel hungry. But be careful, -I'm not one to be swallowed up, you know!" - -Discountenanced by the sharp attack of this wonderful fellow, who -guessed everything, Bourdoncle stammered: "What now? Are you joking? I -who have always admired you so much!" - -"Don't tell lies!" replied Mouret, more violently than ever. "Just -listen, we were stupid to entertain the superstition that marriage -would ruin us. Why, is it not the necessary health, the very strength -and order of life? Well, my dear fellow, I'm going to marry her, and -I'll pitch you all out of doors at the slightest movement. Yes, you'll -go and get paid like the rest, Bourdoncle." - -And with a gesture he dismissed him. Bourdoncle felt himself condemned, -swept away, in this victory gained by woman. He went off. Denise was -just coming in, and he bowed to her with profound respect, his head -swimming. - -"Ah! you've come at last!" said Mouret gently. - -Denise was pale with emotion. She had just experienced another grief, -Deloche had informed her of his dismissal, and when she had tried -to retain him, offering to speak in his favour, he had obstinately -declined to struggle against his bad luck; he wanted to disappear, he -said, what was the use of staying? Why should he interfere with people -who were happy? Then Denise had bade him a sisterly farewell, her -eyes full of tears. Did she not herself long to sink into oblivion? -Everything was now about to finish, and she asked nothing more of her -exhausted strength than the courage to insist on the separation. In a -few minutes, if she could only be valiant enough to crush her heart, -she would be able to go away alone, and weep unseen. - -"You wished to see me, sir," she said in her calm voice. "In fact, I -intended to come and thank you for all your kindness to me." - -On entering, she had perceived the million on the table, and the -display of that money wounded her. Above her, as if watching the scene, -was the portrait of Madame Hédouin, in its gilded frame, and with the -eternal smile of its painted lips. - -"You are still resolved to leave us?" asked Mouret, in a trembling -voice. - -"Yes, sir. I must." - -Then he took her hands, and, in an outburst of tenderness, after the -long coldness he had imposed on himself exclaimed: "And if I asked you -to marry me, Denise, would you still leave?" - -But she rapidly drew her hands away, struggling as if under the -influence of a great grief. "Oh! Monsieur Mouret! Pray say no more. -Oh! don't cause me even greater pain than before! I cannot! I cannot! -Heaven is my witness that I was going away to avoid such a misfortune!" - -She continued to defend herself in broken sentences. Had she not -already suffered too much from the gossip of the house? Did he wish her -to pass in the eyes of others and his own for a worthless woman? No, -no, she would be strong, she would certainly prevent him doing such a -foolish thing. He, tortured, listened to her, repeating in a passionate -tone: "I wish it. I wish it!" - -"No, it's impossible. And my brothers? I have sworn not to marry. I -cannot bring you those children, can I?" - -"They shall be my brothers, too. Say yes, Denise." - -"No, no, leave me. You are torturing me!" - -Little by little he was losing his strength; this last obstacle drove -him frantic. What! She still refused even at this price! In the -distance he heard the clamour of his three thousand employees building -up his immense fortune. And that idiotic million lying there! He -suffered from it as from a sort of irony, he could have kicked it into -the street. - -"Go, then!" he cried at last in a flood of tears. "Go and join the man -you love. That's the reason, isn't it? You warned me, I ought to have -known it, and not have tormented you any further." - -She stood there thunderstruck by the violence of this despair. Her own -heart was bursting. And then, with the impetuosity of a child, she -threw herself on his neck, sobbing also, and stammering: "Oh! Monsieur -Mouret, it's you I love!" - -A last murmur was rising from The Ladies' Paradise, the distant -acclamation of a multitude. Madame Hédouin's portrait was still -smiling, with its painted lips; Mouret had fallen on his table, on -the million which he could no longer see. He did not quit Denise, but -clasped her to his breast in a desperate embrace, telling her that she -might now go, that she could spend a month at Valognes which would -silence everybody, and that then he would go to fetch her himself, and -bring her back, all-powerful, as his wedded wife. - - - -THE END. - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Ladies' Paradise, by Émile Zola - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LADIES' PARADISE *** - -***** This file should be named 54726-0.txt or 54726-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/7/2/54726/ - -Produced by Dagny & Marc D'Hooghe at Free Literature (online -soon in an extended version, also linking to free sources -for education worldwide ... MOOC's, educational -materials,...) 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Ladies' Paradise - -Author: Émile Zola - -Contributor: Ernest Alfred Vizetelly - -Translator: Ernest Alfred Vizetelly - -Release Date: May 15, 2017 [EBook #54726] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LADIES' PARADISE *** - - - - -Produced by Dagny & Marc D'Hooghe at Free Literature (online -soon in an extended version, also linking to free sources -for education worldwide ... MOOC's, educational -materials,...) Images generously made available by the -Hathi Trust. - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="500" alt="" /> -</div> -<h1>THE LADIES' PARADISE</h1> - - -<h3>BY</h3> - -<h2>EMILE ZOLA</h2> - - -<h4>WITH AN INTRODUCTION</h4> - -<h5>BY</h5> - -<h4>ERNEST ALFRED VIZETELLY</h4> - -<h5>From the original French:</h5> - -<h5>Au bonheur des dames</h5> - -<h5>LONDON 1895<br /> -HUTCHINSON & CO.<br /> -34 PATERNOSTER ROW</h5> -<hr class="full" /> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 475px;"> -<img src="images/zola_001.jpg" width="475" alt="" /> -<p class="caption"> -"Ah, it's you, mademoiselle!" he said.</p> -</div> -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p style="margin-left: 20%; font-size: 0.8em;"> -CONTENTS<br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</a><br /> -<a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</a><br /> -</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4>INTRODUCTION.</h4> - - -<p>I certainly have no desire to frighten the female readers to whom this -free rendering of one of M. Zola's best books so largely appeals,—it -is indeed a book with a good sound moral, fit for every thoughtful -woman to peruse—but, in endeavouring to point out its scope and -purport, I must, in the first instance, refer to some matters in -which women, as nowadays educated, take as a rule but the scantiest -of interest. Still many of them may have heard that in the opinion of -various <i>fin-de-siècle</i> seers and prophets the future of the human race -lies in collectivism, a prediction which I do not intend to discuss, -but respecting which I may remark that during the last half century -in this country there has certainly been a tendency in the direction -indicated, even amongst classes which profess to hold every form of -socialism in horror.</p> - -<p>This tendency towards collectivism has manifested itself notably in -certain trades and industries by the introduction of various forms of -co-operation, by the amalgamation, too, of rival businesses, and even -by the formation of quasi-monopolies which, evil and unjust as they -may appear to some, nevertheless rejoice the heart of many Socialists -who consider that the fewer the individual interests to be overthrown, -the easier will be their task of conquest when the time shall come for -olden society to give up the ghost. And, further, a tendency towards -collectivism is also to be traced in the establishment of those great -"universal providing" concerns which we know by the name of "stores", -and which many a Socialist will tell you are but the forerunners of the -colossal "magazines of distribution" which will become necessary when -collectivism shall have attained its ends.</p> - -<p>On all sides nowadays the small trader and the small manufacturer -are assailed, and in many instances can barely hold their own; for -cheapness is the god of the hour, and in cheapness they cannot hope -to compete with those who operate upon a colossal scale. Whether they -will ultimately be obliged to give up the contest, whether the passion -for individuality is destined to depart from the human race, these and -the many other questions which the problem suggests, I will leave to -the Collectivist prophets and to those who oppose their doctrines in -our reviews and newspapers. I have merely desired to call the reader's -attention to this problem and to the tendencies previously referred to, -because he—or she—will find that they constitute no small portion of -the subject of the present volume of M. Zola's works.</p> - -<p>In "Au Bonheur des Dames" M. Zola has taken as his theme a particular -phase of the amalgamation and "universal providing" tendencies, as -they have presented themselves in France; and the phase in question is -certainly one of the most interesting, if only for the fact that it is -so closely connected with the desires and needs of women. In a word -the work deals with those huge drapery establishments, like the "Bon -Marché" and the "Louvre", which are renowned throughout the world.</p> - -<p>We have no doubt several very large draper's emporiums in London, -but I do not think that any one of them can claim to rival either in -dimensions, extent of business, or completeness of organisation the -great French establishments to which I have referred above. I can -myself well remember the growth of the "Bon Marché" and the "Louvre". -Transferred, when my education was but half-completed, from the -solitude of the Sussex downs to the whirling vortex of Paris, I grew -up amongst those Haussmannite transformations which virtually made the -French capital a new city—a city which became my home for well nigh -twenty years. Even now I am but a stranger in my own land, among my own -kith and kin; and my memory ever dwells on those years when I saw Paris -develop, opening her streets to air and light and health, increasing -her wealth and her activity, on the one hand multiplying her workshops, -ever busy, thanks to the taste and dexterity of her craftsmen, and on -the other, by the attraction of a thousand pleasures, becoming the -caravanserai of Europe. And my fanatical admiration for M. Zola and for -all his works, the passion which has induced me to translate so many -of them, arises mainly from the fact that they deal so largely with -Paris and her life at a period which I so well remember, with scenes -and incidents which I can so readily recall and which carry me back to -the days when the heart was light and buoyant, and sorrow was a thing -unknown. And when, now and again sundry supercilious English critics, -qualified by a smattering of French and a few months' residence in -France, presume to sneer at M. Zola's pictures of French manners and -customs in the days of the Second Empire, I merely shrug my shoulders -at their ignorance. For my own part I believe, for like St. Thomas I -have seen.</p> - -<p>Among the subjects dealt with by M. Zola in the Rougon-Macquart series, -that of the present work,—the development of the great <i>magasins de -nouveautés</i>—is to me one of the most familiar, for the reason that -I have always taken a keen interest in the attire and adornment of -women, and in my salad days wrote some hundreds of columns of fashion's -articles for English newspapers. And my duties in those days took me -not only to the <i>salons</i> of M. Worth, M. Pingat and other <i>faiseurs à -la mode</i>, but also to the great drapers', for if, on the one hand, I -learned in the former establishments what would be worn by royalty, -aristocracy and fashionable depravity, on the other, in the huge -bazaars similar to "Au Bonheur des Dames", I ascertained what would -be the popular craze of the hour, the material which would be seen -on the back of every second woman one might meet, and the one or two -colours which for a few months would catch the eye at every street -corner. All this may seem to be frivolity, but it is on such frivolity -that a goodly portion of civilized humanity subsists. I find M. -André Cochut, a well informed writer, holding an official position, -stating in 1866—a year which comes within the period I am referring -to—that there were then 26,000 shops and work-shops in Paris which -sold or made (almost exclusively) articles of female attire; and these -26,000 establishments (many, of course, very small) gave employment -to nearly 140,000 persons of both sexes, among whom there were 1500 -designers. Moreover, the trade of Paris in materials and made-up goods -was estimated at 570 millions of francs, or £22,800,000! Under these -circumstances that Paris should have claimed the sovereignty of fashion -is, I think, not surprising.</p> - -<p>Nowadays the number of establishments selling or making goods for -feminine attire has undoubtedly decreased, but the trade is greater -than ever. Well nigh the only alteration one can trace, is that many -of the smaller houses have been swallowed up by their big rivals in -accordance with the usual conditions of the struggle for life. The -big establishments did not, however, step into the arena, huge like -Goliaths and armed <i>cap-à-pié</i>. As M. Zola relates in the following -pages, they likewise had humble beginnings, and would never have -expanded as they did, but for the commercial genius of their founders. -I remember the "Bon Marché" having but one entrance (in the Rue du -Bac, near the corner of the Rue de Sèvres) and ranking, in the opinion -of the women of the neighbourhood, far below the "Petit St. Thomas" -which it has since altogether outstripped. In the same way the huge -block of building now occupied by the "Magasins du Louvre" comprised -some forty different shops held by different tenants. Indeed the pile -had originally been erected for an hotel, the Grand Hôtel du Louvre, -and the shops, even those bearing the name of the Louvre, were at the -outset, only a secondary consideration. But gradually a transformation -was effected; the drapery emporium became larger and larger, secured -the adjoining shops, and ultimately invaded the hotel itself.</p> - -<p>Certainly all this was not easily brought about. Many neighbouring -tenants refused to give way to the monster and clung stubbornly -to their leases, fighting the unequal battle with the utmost -obstinacy,—an obstinacy such as that which the Baudus, and old -Bourras, the umbrella maker, will be found displaying in M. Zola's -pages. In the case of the "Louvre", the last of these stubborn -antagonists was, if I recollect rightly, a stationer whose shop fronted -on the Place du Palais Royal, and I believe that he held out until his -lease fell in. At the "Bon Marché" too, the Boucicauts had to contend -against similar obstacles; and, there, the enlargement of the premises -was attended by difficulties akin to those which M. Zola describes; -for many of the adjoining houses were decrepit, tumble-down vestiges -of olden Paris; and each time the "Bon Marché" gained a few yards of -frontage expensive building operations had to be carried out.</p> - -<p>In his present work M. Zola has, of course, not taken as his theme the -actual history of either of the great establishments to which I have -been referring. But from that history and from the history of other -important <i>magasins de nouveautés</i> he has borrowed a multitude of -curious and interesting facts, which he has blended into a realistic -whole. Curiously enough the site which he has chosen for "Au Bonheur -des Dames" was really the site of a fairly large drapery emporium, -which became the "Grands Magasins du 4 Septembre"; but perhaps that -title, savouring as it did of revolution (the revolution of 1870), -brought the establishment bad luck with women caring little or nothing -for politics; for it failed to attain the success to which its central -situation seemed to entitle it. The "Place Clichy," to which M. Zola -will be found referring, still exists, and does a largely increasing -business with all the north of Paris; whilst as for the "Four Seasons", -which one of his characters, Bouthemont the silk-salesman, establishes -near the grand opera-house, this is really the "Printemps," that white -and blue and gilded palace which the Parisians owe to the commercial -enterprise of M. Jules Jaluzot, by some people unkindly nicknamed "the -man with the umbrella".</p> - -<p>I have often thought that, from the commercial point of view there is -considerable resemblance between M. Jaluzot and M. Zola's hero, Octave -Mouret. The latter figures at an earlier stage of his life in another -of M. Zola's novels—"Pot-Bouille"—but he there appears as a graceless -Don Juan without a redeeming quality; whereas, in the present work, one -observes the development of his business capacities, and the gradual -progress of his reformation, till his career culminates in a marriage -which ought to prove a very happy one, if there be any truth in the old -saw that a reformed rake makes the best of husbands. I have, however, -no desire to institute the faintest comparison between the private life -of Octave Mouret and that of M. Jaluzot; but in describing the former's -commercial genius and boldness M. Zola has, I think, more than once -thought of the latter's hardihood and talent in carving for himself -a great industrial kingdom beside those of the "Bon Marché" and the -"Louvre".</p> - -<p>M. Jaluzot is famous in Paris for the rare ability he displays in -turning everything into advertisement, and this of course is an -extremely valuable gift, as advertisement is the very life of the -huge <i>magasins de nouveautés</i>. Some years ago the "Printemps" was -burnt down; and when the necessary rebuilding operations began M. -Jaluzot prevailed upon the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris to come and -bless the foundation stone of the new edifice. This inspiration—well -worthy of M. Zola's hero—secured to M. Jaluzot extensive patronage -among the devout; and it was important at the time that he should -reconcile himself with society, for on the occasion of the burning of -his establishment the entire Parisian press had reproached him with -showing greater eagerness to rush off and purchase an umbrella, for -protection against a shower, than to minister to the needs of the -numerous employees who had been cast on the pavement of Paris by the -catastrophe. Hence the nickname to which I have previously referred.</p> - -<p>With the every-day life of the Parisian drapery employee the present -work is very largely concerned. From the personal investigations I -made at former times, the many conversations I had with employees -of this class, the numerous corroborative statements I have read in -the works of other French writers, I believe M. Zola's pictures of -the "counter jumper's" existence at the period dealt with, to be -scrupulously accurate. It will be noticed that these pictures slowly -change in certain respects as the story proceeds. Mouret at last begins -to take more interest in the material comforts of his staff, provides -it with better food, and treats it generally in a more reasonable -manner; whilst among the employees themselves, their depravity and -vulgarity, hidden beneath a surface elegance and politeness, is at -times altogether stamped out, at others thrust back far more deeply. To -the Boucicauts of the "Bon Marché" largely belongs the honour of having -improved the material well-being, and raised the moral tone of shopmen -of this class; and their example has been very generally followed. -Still, as every Paris "calicot" well knows, there is one great emporium -whose internal organization is still open to serious criticism.</p> - -<p>"Calicot," I may mention, is the French equivalent of our term -"counter-jumper"; and in this introduction to a work which deals so -largely with the "calicot's" life it may not be out of place to explain -the origin of the nickname. It dates from 1817, when a vaudeville -called "<i>Le Combat des Montagnes, ou la Folie-Beaujon</i>" by Scribe -and Dupin was performed at the Paris Théâtre des Variétés. At that -period, with the wars of the Empire still fresh in their recollection, -the Parisians generally evinced a cordial respect for those who -had seen service; and the young men of the capital, promenading on -the boulevards, were fond of affecting a military appearance and -demeanour. Matters even came to such a pass that drapers'-assistants, -<i>commis-marchands</i> as they were then called, cultivated huge moustaches -and wore spurs on their boots even when behind their counters. To -this ridiculous craze Scribe and Dupin alluded in their vaudeville, -into which they introduced a certain "counter-jumper" called Monsieur -Calicot, whom the other characters of the play at first mistook -for some survivor of the Old Guard. The result, as might have been -expected, was an explosion of rage among all the drapery employees of -Paris. They besieged the theatre, and desperate and sanguinary battles -ensued in the auditorium. The authorities, however, declined to place -the vaudeville under interdict; and after several interventions on the -part of the police, the irate employees were cowed by the presence of -a detachment of grenadiers, who, with loaded muskets, stood on either -side of the stage throughout each performance. And from that time to -the present day "calicot" has been French for "counter-jumper"<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> so -far as drapery is concerned.</p> - -<p>However, the vaudeville did not cure the "calicot" of his partiality -for moustaches. These he still cultivates, as all who have been in -Paris well know; indeed he frequently grows a beard as well; but as -such hirsute appendages have long since ceased to be the exclusive -property of the military, nobody taunts him with affectation concerning -them. On the other hand he has wisely renounced the practice of wearing -spurs behind his counter, and if he sometimes evinces a little military -precision or even swagger it would be unwise to deem this assumed; -for in these days of the universal conscription it may well have been -acquired by real service in the ranks. Indeed, we must not sneer at the -"calicot"; he answers his country's call as readily as any other of her -sons.</p> - -<p>It remains for me to say a few words concerning the moral of this book. -The story of Denise's struggles, hardships and temptations, her quiet -courage and gentle steadfastness is invested by M. Zola with that -simple pathos which adorns so many of his works. The young girl passes -through the fire and emerges from it unscathed, protected by her own -sense of rectitude and the purity of her love, whilst others, alas, -are devoured. No more beautiful example of feminine resistance to evil -could be imagined. We follow the heroine's fortunes with emotional -interest and take a kindly satisfaction in her reward. Possibly, we -might wish that she had loved a somewhat worthier man than Mouret, in -whom there are many moral blemishes; but the reflection imposes itself, -that under her caressing influence these blemishes will disappear, that -Mouret will throw off all that remains in him of the old Adam and prove -worthy of the love that he himself feels and has inspired. And surely -woman's love can have no holier mission than that of the reformation of -man. What, moreover, would become of humanity if a woman's heart were -to be given only to the immaculate, in accordance with the paradoxical -dictum of some latter day lady-novelists? Does not the woman who brings -an erring man back into the straight path that he may contribute to the -common weal, achieve more good than she who simply plights her troth -to one as blameless as herself? And thus a halo encircles M. Zola's -heroine, Denise, the personification of all that is best and truest in -the female heart.</p> - -<p>One word more. The compass of the present introduction does not permit -me to establish a comparison between the relative positions of French -and English salesmen and women in the great drapery establishments. -I fear, however, from all I have heard, that several of M. Zola's -strictures on the treatment meted out to the employees of Octave -Mouret's bazaar, might be applied to English houses. And thus whilst I -recommend this book to women, whom its subject cannot fail to interest -and who will take a warning from the extravagance of Madame Marty and -find a bright example in the unswerving rectitude of Denise, I also -submit it to the attention of those who are seeking in this country to -improve the position of shop employees, for I feel certain that they -will find many a useful hint in its searching and accurate pages.</p> - - -<p style="text-align: right; font-size: 0.8em;">ERNEST A. VIZETELLY.</p> - -<p><i>Merton</i>, May 1895.</p> - - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> I find that Brunet who played the part of M. Calicot -wore the following typical costume: high boots with spurs, white -trousers, a buff waistcoat and a frock coat made of a green and white -"mixture"—<i>chicorée à la crême</i>, as the tailors of those days termed -it.</p></div> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h3>THE LADIES PARADISE.</h3> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a></h4> - - -<p>Denise had come on foot from the Saint-Lazare railway station, where -a Cherbourg train had landed her and her two brothers, after a night -spent on the hard seat of a third-class carriage. She was leading Pépé -by the hand, while Jean followed her; all three of them exhausted by -their journey, frightened and lost in that vast city of Paris, their -eyes raised to the house fronts and their tongues for ever inquiring -the way to the Rue de la Michodière, where their uncle Baudu lived. -However, as she at last emerged into the Place Gaillon, the girl -stopped short in astonishment.</p> - -<p>"Oh! just look there, Jean," said she; and they remained stock still, -nestling close to one another, dressed from head to foot in black, the -old mourning bought at their father's death. Denise, rather puny for -her twenty years, was carrying a small parcel in one hand, while on the -other side, her little brother, five years old, clung to her arm, and -in the rear her big brother in the flower of his sixteen summers stood -erect with dangling arms.</p> - -<p>"Well I never," said she, after a pause, "that <i>is</i> a shop!"</p> - -<p>They were at the corner of the Rue de la Michodière and the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin, in front of a draper's shop, whose windows -displayed a wealth of bright colour in the soft, pale October light. -Eight o'clock was striking at the church of Saint-Roch; and only -the early birds of Paris were abroad, a few clerks on their way to -business, and housewives flitting about on their morning shopping. -Before the door of the drapery establishment, two shopmen, mounted on -a step-ladder, were hanging up some woollen goods, whilst in a window -facing the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin another young man, kneeling with -his back to the pavement, was delicately plaiting a piece of blue silk. -In the shop, which was as yet void of customers, and whose employees -were only just beginning to arrive, there was a low buzz as in a bee -hive just awakening.</p> - -<p>"By Jove!" said Jean, "this beats Valognes. Yours wasn't such a fine -shop."</p> - -<p>Denise shook her head. She had spent two years at Valognes, with -Cornaille, the principal draper in the town; and this Parisian shop -so suddenly encountered and to her so vast made her heart swell and -detained her there, interested, impressed, forgetful of everything -else. The lofty plate-glass door in a corner facing the Place Gaillon -reached the first storey amidst a medley of ornaments covered with -gilding. Two allegorical female figures, with laughing faces and -bare bosoms unrolled a scroll bearing the inscription "The Ladies' -Paradise"; then, on either side, along the Rue de la Michodière and the -Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, stretched the windows of the establishment, -not limited merely to the corner house but comprising four others—two -on the right and two on the left which had been recently purchased and -fitted up. It all appeared endless to Denise, thus seen in perspective, -with the display down below and the plate glass windows above, through -which a long line of counters was to be perceived. Upstairs a young -lady, dressed in silk, could be espied sharpening a pencil, while two -others, beside her, were unfolding some velvet mantles.</p> - -<p>"The Ladies' Paradise," read Jean, with a soft laugh, like a handsome -youth who already has thoughts of women. "That's a pretty name—that -must draw customers—eh?"</p> - -<p>But Denise was absorbed by the display at the principal entrance. -There, in the open street, on the very pavement, she beheld a mass of -cheap goods—doorway temptations, bargains to attract the passer-by. -Pieces of woollen and cloth goods, merinoes, cheviots, and tweeds, -hung from above like bunting, with their neutral, slate, navy-blue, -and olive-green tints relieved by large white price-tickets. Close by, -on either side of the doorway, dangled strips of fur, narrow bands -for dress trimmings, ashen-hued Siberian squirrel-skin, swansdown of -spotless snowiness, and rabbit-skin transformed into imitation ermine -and imitation sable. Below, in boxes and on tables, amidst piles of -remnants, appeared a quantity of hosiery which was virtually given -away; knitted woollen gloves, neckerchiefs, women's hoods, cardigan -waistcoats, a complete winter show with colours in mixtures, patterns -and stripes and here and there a flaming patch of red. Denise saw some -tartan at nine sous, some strips of American bison at a franc the -mètre, and some mittens at five sous a pair. An immense clearance sale -was apparently going on; the establishment seemed to be bursting with -goods, blocking up the pavement with the surplus of its contents. Uncle -Baudu was forgotten. Even Pépé, clinging tightly to his sister's hand, -opened his big eyes in wonder. However a vehicle in coming up forced -them to quit the roadway, and they mechanically turned into the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin, following the windows and stopping at each fresh -display. At first they were captivated by an intricate arrangement: -up above a number of umbrellas, placed obliquely, seemed to form a -rustic roof; upon rods beneath them hung a quantity of silk stockings -displaying neat ankles and well rounded calves, some of them dotted -with rosebuds, others of divers hues, the black ones open-worked and -the red ones elegantly clocked; whilst those which were of a flesh -tint, looked, with their satiny texture, as soft as skin itself. Then, -on the baize covering of the show-stage, came a symmetrical array of -gloves with extended fingers and narrow palms recalling the hands of -Byzantine Virgins, all the rigid and, as it were, adolescent grace -which characterises feminine frippery before it is worn. However, it -was especially the last window which detained their eyes. An exhibition -of silks, satins and velvets, in a supple, vibrating scale of colour, -here set, as in full bloom, the most delicate hues of the floral -world. At the top were the velvets, deeply black, or white as curds; -lower down came the satins, pinks and blues, bright at their folds, -then fading into paler and paler tints of infinite delicacy; and lower -still were silks, the rainbow's variegated scarf, the several pieces -cocked shell-wise, plaited as though round some female waist, endowed, -as it were, with life by the skilful manipulation of the employees; -and between each <i>motif</i>, each glowing phrase of the display ran a -discreet accompaniment, a light, puffy roll of creamy <i>foulard</i>. Here -too at either end of the window, were huge piles of the two silks which -were the exclusive property of the establishment, the "Paris Delight" -and the "Golden Grain"—articles of exceptional quality destined to -revolutionize the silk trade.</p> - -<p>"Oh! look at that <i>faille</i> at five francs sixty!" murmured Denise, -transported with astonishment at sight of the "Paris Delight".</p> - -<p>Jean, however, was getting bored and stopped a passer-by. "Which is the -Rue de la Michodière, please, sir?"</p> - -<p>On hearing that it was the first on the right they all turned back, -making the tour of the establishment. But just as she was entering the -street, Denise was again attracted by a window in which ladies' mantles -were displayed. At Cornaille's the mantles had been her department, -but she had never seen anything like this, and remained rooted to the -spot with admiration. At the rear a large scarf of Bruges lace, of -considerable value, was spread out like an altar-veil, with its two -creamy wings extended; then there were flounces of Alençon, grouped in -garlands; and from the top to the bottom, like falling snow, fluttered -lace of every description—Malines, Valenciennes, Brussels, and -Venetian-point. On each side pieces of cloth rose up in dark columns -imparting distance to the background. And the mantles were here, in -this sort of chapel raised to the worship of woman's beauty and grace. -In the centre was a magnificent article, a velvet mantle trimmed -with silver fox; on one side of it appeared a silk cloak lined with -miniver, on the other a cloth cloak edged with cocks' plumes; and, last -of all, some opera cloaks in white cashmere and quilted silk trimmed -with swansdown or chenille. There was something for every taste, from -the opera cloaks at twenty-nine francs to the velvet mantle which was -marked eighteen hundred. The round busts of the dummies filled out -the stuff, the prominent hips exaggerating the slimness of the waists -and the absent heads being replaced by large price-tickets pinned on -the necks, whilst the mirrors, on each side of the window, reflected -and multiplied all these forms, peopling the street, as it were, with -beautiful women for sale, each bearing a price in big figures in lieu -of a head.</p> - -<p>"How stunning they are!" murmured Jean, finding no other words to -express his emotion.</p> - -<p>This time he himself had become motionless, and stood there gaping. -All this female luxury turned him rosy with pleasure. He had a girl's -beauty—a beauty which he seemed to have stolen from his sister—a -fair white skin, ruddy curly hair, lips and eyes overflowing with -tenderness. By his side Denise, with her rather long face, large mouth, -fading complexion and light hair, appeared thinner still. Pépé, who -was also fair, with the fairness of infancy, now clung closer to her, -as if anxious to be caressed, perturbed and delighted as he was by the -sight of the beautiful ladies in the window. And those three fair ones, -poorly clad in black, that sad-looking girl between the pretty child -and the handsome youth, looked so strange yet so charming standing -there on the pavement, that the passers-by glanced back smilingly.</p> - -<p>For some minutes a stout man with grey hair and a large yellow face -had been looking at them from a shop-door on the other side of the -street. He had been standing there with bloodshot eyes and contracted -mouth, beside himself with rage at the display made by The Ladies' -Paradise, when the sight of the girl and her brothers had completed his -exasperation. What were those three simpletons doing there, gaping in -front of the cheap-jack's show booth?</p> - -<p>"What about uncle?" asked Denise, suddenly, as if just waking up.</p> - -<p>"We are in the Rue de la Michodière," replied Jean. "He must live -somewhere about here."</p> - -<p>They raised their heads and looked round; and just in front of them, -above the stout man, they perceived a green sign-board on which in -yellow letters, discoloured by the rain was the following inscription: -"<span class="smcap">THE OLD ELBEUF</span>. Cloths and Flannels. <span class="smcap">BAUDU</span>, late <span class="smcap">HAUCHECORNE</span>." The -house, coated with ancient rusty paint, and quite flat and unadorned -amidst the surrounding mansions of the Louis XIV. period, had only -three front windows up above, square and shutterless windows simply -provided with handrails supported by two iron bars placed crosswise. -But what most struck Denise, whose eyes were full of the bright display -of The Ladies' Paradise, was the low ground-floor shop, surmounted -by an equally low storey with half-moon windows, of prison-like -appearance. Right and left, framed round by wood work of a bottle-green -hue, which time had tinted with ochre and bitumen, were two deep -windows, black and dusty, in which pieces of cloth heaped one on -another could vaguely be seen. The open doorway seemed to conduct into -the darkness and dampness of a cellar.</p> - -<p>"That's the house," said Jean.</p> - -<p>"Well, we must go in," declared Denise. "Come on, Pépé."</p> - -<p>All three, however, grew somewhat troubled, as if seized with fear. -When their father had died, carried off by the same fever which a month -previously had killed their mother, their uncle Baudu, in the emotion -born of this double bereavement, had certainly written to Denise, -assuring her that there would always be a place for her in his house -whenever she might like to try fortune in Paris. But this had taken -place nearly a year ago, and the young girl was now sorry that she -should have so impulsively left Valognes without informing her uncle. -The latter did not know them, never having set foot in the little town -since the day when he had left it as a boy, to enter the service of the -draper Hauchecorne, whose daughter he had subsequently married.</p> - -<p>"Monsieur Baudu?" asked Denise, at last making up her mind to speak to -the stout man who was still eyeing them, surprised by their appearance -and manners.</p> - -<p>"That's me," he replied.</p> - -<p>Then Denise blushed deeply and stammered: "Oh, I'm so pleased! I am -Denise. This is Jean, and this is Pépé. You see, we have come, uncle."</p> - -<p>Baudu seemed lost in amazement. His big eyes rolled in his yellow face; -he spoke slowly and with difficulty. He had evidently been far from -thinking of this family which now suddenly dropped down upon him.</p> - -<p>"What—what, you here?" he several times repeated. "But you were at -Valognes. Why aren't you at Valognes?"</p> - -<p>In her sweet but rather faltering voice she then explained that since -the death of her father, who had spent every penny he possessed in -his dye-works, she had acted as a mother to the two children; but the -little she had earned at Cornaille's did not suffice to keep the three -of them. Jean certainly worked at a cabinet-maker's, a repairer of -old furniture, but didn't earn a sou. Still, he had got to like the -business, and had even learned to carve. One day, having found a piece -of ivory, he had amused himself by carving it into a head, which a -gentleman staying in the town had seen and praised; and this gentleman -it was who had been the cause of their leaving Valognes, as he had -found Jean a place with an ivory-carver in Paris.</p> - -<p>"So you see, uncle," continued Denise, "Jean will commence his -apprenticeship at his new master's to-morrow. They ask no premium, and -will board and lodge him. And so I felt sure that Pépé and I would be -able to jog along. At all events we can't be worse off than we were at -Valognes."</p> - -<p>She said nothing about a certain love affair of Jean's, of certain -letters which he had written to the daughter of a nobleman of the town, -of the kisses which the pair had exchanged over a wall—in fact, quite -a scandal which had strengthened her in her determination to leave. And -if she was so anxious to be in Paris herself it was that she might be -able to look after her brother, feeling, as she did, quite a mother's -tender anxiety for this gay and handsome youth, whom all the women -adored. Uncle Baudu, however, couldn't get over it, but continued his -questions.</p> - -<p>"So your father left you nothing," said he. "I certainly thought there -was still something left. Ah! how many times did I write advising him -not to take those dye-works! He was a good-hearted fellow certainly, -but he had no head for business And you were left with those two -youngsters to look after—you've had to keep them, eh?"</p> - -<p>His bilious face had now become clearer, his eyes were not so bloodshot -as when he had stood glaring at The Ladies' Paradise. All at once he -noticed that he was blocking up the doorway. "Well," said he, "come in, -now you're here. Come in, that'll be better than gaping at a parcel of -rubbish."</p> - -<p>And after addressing a last pout of anger to The Ladies' Paradise, he -made way for the children by entering the shop and calling his wife and -daughter: "Elizabeth, Geneviève, come down; here's company for you!"</p> - -<p>Denise and the two boys, however, hesitated at sight of the darkness -of the shop. Blinded by the clear outdoor light, they blinked as on -the threshold of some unknown pit, and felt their way with their feet -with an instinctive fear of encountering some treacherous step. And -drawn yet closer together by this vague fear, the child still holding -the girl's skirts, and the big boy behind, they made their entry with -a smiling, anxious grace. The clear morning light outlined the dark -silhouettes of their mourning clothes; and an oblique ray of sunshine -gilded their fair hair.</p> - -<p>"Come in, come in," repeated Baudu.</p> - -<p>Then, in a few sentences he explained matters to his wife and -daughter. The former was a little woman, consumed by anæmia and quite -white—white hair, white eyes and white lips. Geneviève, the daughter, -in whom the maternal degeneracy appeared yet more marked, had the -sickly, colourless appearance of a plant reared in the shade. However, -a thick, heavy crop of magnificent black hair, marvellously vigorous -for such poor soil, gave her, as it were, a mournful charm.</p> - -<p>"Come in," said both the women in their turn; "you are welcome." And -they at once made Denise sit down behind a counter.</p> - -<p>Pépé then jumped upon his sister's lap, whilst Jean leant against the -panelling beside her. They were regaining their assurance and looking -round the shop where their eyes had grown used to the obscurity. They -could now distinctly see it all, with its low and smoky ceiling, its -oaken counters polished by use, and its old-fashioned nests of drawers -with strong iron fittings. Bales of dark goods reached to the beams -above; a smell of wool and dye—a sharp chemical smell—prevailed, -intensified it seemed by the humidity of the floor. At the further end -two young men and a young woman were putting away some pieces of white -flannel.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps this young gentleman would like to take something?" said -Madame Baudu, smiling at Pépé.</p> - -<p>"No, thanks," replied Denise, "we each had a cup of milk at a café -opposite the station." And as Geneviève looked at the small parcel she -had laid on the floor near her, she added: "I left our box there too."</p> - -<p>She blushed as she spoke feeling that she ought not to have dropped -down on her friends in this way. Even in the train, just as she was -leaving Valognes, she had been assailed by regrets and fears; and this -was why she had left the box at the station and given the children -their breakfast immediately on arriving in Paris.</p> - -<p>"Well, well," suddenly said Baudu, "let's come to an understanding. -'Tis true that I wrote to you, but that was a year ago, and since then -business hasn't been flourishing, I can assure you, my girl."</p> - -<p>He stopped short, choked by an emotion he did not wish to show. -Madame Baudu and Geneviève, had cast down their eyes with an air of -resignation.</p> - -<p>"Oh," continued he, "it's a crisis which will pass, no doubt, I'm not -uneasy; but I have reduced my staff; there are only three here now, and -this is not the moment to engage a fourth. In short, my poor girl, I -cannot take you as I promised."</p> - -<p>Denise listened, aghast and very pale. He repeated his words, adding: -"It would do no good to either of us."</p> - -<p>"All right, uncle," at last she replied, with a painful effort, "I'll -try to manage all the same."</p> - -<p>The Baudus were not bad sort of people. But they complained of never -having had any luck. In the flourishing days of their business, they -had had to bring up five sons, of whom three had died before attaining -the age of twenty; the fourth had gone wrong, and the fifth had just -started for Mexico, as a captain. Geneviève was the only one now left -at home. From first to last, however, this large family had cost a deal -of money, and Baudu had made things worse by buying a great lumbering -country house, at Rambouillet, near his wife's father's place. Thus, -a sharp, sour feeling was springing up in the honest old tradesman's -breast.</p> - -<p>"You might have warned us," he resumed, gradually getting angry at -his own harshness. "You might have written and I should have told you -to stay at Valognes. When I heard of your father's death I said what -is right on such occasions, but you drop down on us without a word of -warning. It's very awkward."</p> - -<p>He raised his voice, as he thus relieved himself. His wife and -daughter still kept their eyes on the floor, like submissive persons -who would never think of interfering. Jean, however, had turned pale, -whilst Denise hugged the terrified Pépé to her bosom. Hot tears of -disappointment fell from her eyes.</p> - -<p>"All right, uncle," she said, "we'll go away."</p> - -<p>At that he ceased speaking, and an awkward silence ensued. Then he -resumed in a surly tone: "I don't mean to turn you out. As you are here -you can sleep upstairs to-night; after that, we'll see."</p> - -<p>Then, as he glanced at them, Madame Baudu and Geneviève understood that -they were free to arrange matters. And all was soon settled. There was -no need to trouble about Jean, as he was to enter on his apprenticeship -the next day. As for Pépé, he would be well looked after by Madame -Gras, an old lady who rented a large ground floor in the Rue des -Orties, where she boarded and lodged young children for forty francs a -month. Denise said that she had sufficient to pay for the first month, -and, so the only remaining question was to find a place for herself. -Surely they would be able to discover some situation for her in the -neighbourhood.</p> - -<p>"Wasn't Vinçard in want of a saleswoman?" asked Geneviève.</p> - -<p>"Of course, so he was!" cried Baudu; "we'll go and see him after lunch. -There's nothing like striking the iron while it's hot."</p> - -<p>Not a customer had come in to interrupt this family discussion; the -shop remained dark and empty as before. At the far end, the two young -men and the young woman were still working, talking in low sibilant -whispers amongst themselves. At last, however, three ladies arrived, -and Denise was then left alone for a moment. She kissed Pépé with a -swelling heart, at the thought of their approaching separation. The -child, affectionate as a kitten, hid his little head without saying a -word. When Madame Baudu and Geneviève returned, they remarked how quiet -he was, and Denise assured them that he never made any more noise than -that, but remained for days together without speaking, living solely -on kisses and caresses. Then until lunch-time the three women sat and -talked together about children, housekeeping, life in Paris and life in -the country, in curt, cautious sentences, like relations whom ignorance -of one another renders somewhat awkward. Jean meantime had gone to the -shop-door, and stood there watching all the outdoor life and smiling -at the pretty girls. At ten o'clock a servant appeared. As a rule the -cloth was then laid for Baudu, Geneviève, and the first-hand; a second -lunch being served at eleven o'clock for Madame Baudu, the other young -man, and the young woman.</p> - -<p>"Come to lunch!" exclaimed the draper, turning towards his niece; and -when they sat ready in the narrow dining-room behind the shop, he -called the first-hand who had lingered behind: "Colomban lunch!"</p> - -<p>The young man entered apologising; he had wished to finish arranging -the flannels, he said. He was a big fellow of twenty-five, heavy but -crafty, for although his face, with its large weak mouth, seemed at -first sight typical of honesty there was a veiled cunning in his eyes.</p> - -<p>"There's a time for everything," rejoined Baudu, who sat before a -piece of cold veal, carving it with a master's skill and prudence, -calculating the weight of each thin slice to within a quarter of an -ounce.</p> - -<p>He served everybody, and even cut up the bread. Denise had placed Pépé -near her to see that he ate properly; but the dark close room made -her feel uncomfortable. She thought it so small, after the large, -well-lighted rooms to which she had been accustomed in the country. A -single window overlooked a small back-yard, which communicated with the -street by a dark passage running along the side of the house. And this -yard, dripping wet and evil-smelling, was like the bottom of some well -into which fell a circular glimmer of light. In the winter they were -obliged to keep the gas burning all day, and when the weather enabled -them to do without it the room seemed more melancholy still. Several -seconds elapsed before Denise's eyes got sufficiently used to the light -to distinguish the food on her plate.</p> - -<p>"That young chap has a good appetite," remarked Baudu, observing that -Jean had finished his veal. "If he works as well as he eats, he'll make -a fine fellow. But you, my girl, you are not eating. And, I say, now -that we can talk a bit, tell us why you didn't get married at Valognes?"</p> - -<p>At this Denise almost dropped the glass she held in her hand. "Oh! -uncle—get married! How can you think of it? And the little ones!"</p> - -<p>She ended by laughing, it seemed to her such a strange idea. Besides, -what man would have cared to take her—a girl without a sou, no fatter -than a lath, and not at all pretty? No, no, she would never marry, she -had quite enough children with her two brothers.</p> - -<p>"You are wrong," said her uncle; "a woman always needs a man. If you -had found an honest young fellow over there you wouldn't have dropped -on to the Paris pavement, you and your brothers, like a party of -gipsies."</p> - -<p>He paused in order to apportion with a parsimony full of justice, a -dish of bacon and potatoes which the servant had just brought in. Then, -pointing to Geneviève and Colomban with his spoon, he added: "Those two -will get married next spring, if we have a good winter season."</p> - -<p>Such was the patriarchal custom of the house. The founder, Aristide -Finet, had given his daughter, Désirée, to his first-hand, Hauchecorne; -he, Baudu, who had arrived in the Rue de la Michodière with seven -francs in his pocket, had married old Hauchecorne's daughter, -Elizabeth; and in his turn he intended to hand over Geneviève and the -business to Colomban as soon as trade should improve. If he still -delayed the marriage which had been decided on three years previously, -it was because a scruple had come to him, a fixed resolve to act in all -honesty. He himself had received the business in a prosperous state, -and did not wish to pass it on to his son-in-law with fewer customers -or doubtful sales. And, continuing his talk, he formally introduced -Colomban, who came from Rambouillet, like Madame Baudu's father; in -fact they were distant cousins. A hard-working fellow was Colomban, -said he; for ten years he had slaved in the shop, fairly earning all -his promotions! Besides, he was far from being a nobody; his father was -that noted toper, Colomban, the veterinary surgeon so well known all -over the department of Seine-et-Oise, an artist in his line, but so -addicted to the flowing bowl that his money fast slipped through his -fingers.</p> - -<p>"Thank heaven!" said the draper in conclusion, "if the father drinks -and runs after women, the son at all events has learnt the value of -money here."</p> - -<p>Whilst he was thus speaking Denise began to examine Geneviève and -Colomban. Though they sat close together at table, they remained -very quiet, without a blush or a smile. From the day of entering the -establishment the young man had counted on this marriage. He had passed -through the various stages of junior hand, salesman, etc., at last -gaining admittance into the confidence and pleasures of the family -circle, and all this patiently, whilst leading a clock-work style of -life and looking upon his marriage with Geneviève as a legitimate -stroke of business. The certainty of having her as his wife prevented -him from feeling any desire for her. On her side the girl had got to -love him with the gravity of her reserved nature, full of a real deep -passion of which she was not aware, in the regulated monotony of her -daily life.</p> - -<p>"Oh! it's quite right, when folks like each other, and can do it," at -last said Denise, smiling, with a view to making herself agreeable.</p> - -<p>"Yes, it always finishes like that," declared Colomban, who, slowly -masticating, had not yet spoken a word.</p> - -<p>Geneviève gave him a long look, and then in her turn remarked: "When -people understand each other, the rest comes naturally."</p> - -<p>Their affection had sprung up in this gloomy nook of old Paris like a -flower in a cellar. For ten years past she had known no one but him, -living by his side, behind the same bales of cloth, amidst the darkness -of the shop; and morning and evening they had found themselves elbow to -elbow in the tiny dining-room, so damp and vault-like. They could not -have been more concealed, more utterly lost had they been far away in -the country, under the screening foliage of the trees. Only the advent -of doubt, of jealous fear, could make it plain to the girl, that she -had given herself, for ever, amidst this abetting solitude, through -sheer emptiness of heart and mental weariness.</p> - -<p>As it was, Denise, fancied she could detect a growing anxiety in the -look Geneviève had cast at Colomban, so she good-naturedly replied: -"Oh! when people are in love they always understand each other."</p> - -<p>Meantime Baudu kept a sharp eye on the table. He had distributed some -"fingers" of Brie cheese, and, as a treat for the visitors, called for -a second dessert, a pot of red-currant jam, a liberality which seemed -to surprise Colomban. Pépé, who so far had been very good, behaved -rather badly at the sight of the jam; whilst Jean, his attention -attracted by the conversation about his cousin Geneviève's marriage, -began to take stock of the girl, whom he thought too puny and too pale, -comparing her in his own mind to a little white rabbit with black ears -and pink eyes.</p> - -<p>"Well, we've chatted enough, and must make room for the others," said -the draper, giving the signal to rise from table. "Just because we've -had a treat there is no reason why we should want too much of it."</p> - -<p>Madame Baudu, the other shopman, and the young lady then came and -took their places at table. Denise, again left to herself, sat down -near the door waiting until her uncle should be able to take her to -Vinçard's. Pépé was playing at her feet, whilst Jean had resumed his -post of observation on the threshold. And Denise sat there for nearly -an hour, taking interest in what went on around her. Now and again -a few customers came in; a lady, then two others appeared, the shop -meanwhile retaining its musty odour and its half light, in which -old-fashioned commerce, simple and good natured, seemed to weep at -finding itself so deserted. What most interested Denise, however, was -The Ladies' Paradise opposite, whose windows she could see through the -open doorway. The sky remained cloudy, a sort of humid mildness warmed -the air, notwithstanding the season; and in the clear light, permeated, -as it were, by a hazy diffusion of sunshine, the great shop acquired -abundant life and activity.</p> - -<p>To Denise it seemed as if she were watching a machine working at full -pressure, setting even the window-shows in motion. They were no longer -the cold windows she had seen in the early morning; they seemed to -have been warmed and to vibrate with all the activity within. There -were folks before them, groups of women pushing and squeezing against -the sheets of glass, a perfect crowd excited with covetousness. And in -this passionate atmosphere the stuffs themselves seemed endowed with -life; the laces quivered, drooped, and concealed the depths of the shop -with a disturbing air of mystery; even the thick square-cut lengths -of cloth breathed, exhaling a tempting odour, while the tailor-made -coats seemed to draw themselves up more erectly on the dummies, which -acquired souls, and the velvet mantle expanded, supple and warm, as if -falling from real shoulders, over a heaving bosom and quivering hips. -But the factory-like glow which pervaded the house came above all from -the sales, the crush at the counters, which could be divined behind -the walls. There was the continual roaring of a machine at work, an -engulfing of customers close-pressed against the counters, bewildered -amidst the piles of goods, and finally hurled towards the pay-desks. -And all went on in an orderly manner, with mechanical regularity, force -and logic carrying quite a nation of women through the gearing of this -commercial machine.</p> - -<p>Denise had felt tempted ever since early morning. She was bewildered -and attracted by this shop, to her so vast, which she saw more people -enter in an hour than she had seen enter Cornaille's in six months; and -with her desire to enter it was mingled a vague sense of danger which -rendered her seduction complete. At the same time her uncle's shop -made her feel ill at ease; she felt unreasonable disdain, instinctive -repugnance for this cold, icy place, the home of old-fashioned trading. -All her sensations—her anxious entry, her relatives' cold reception, -the dull lunch partaken of in a prison-like atmosphere, her spell of -waiting amidst the sleepy solitude of this old establishment doomed -to speedy decay—all these became concentrated in mute protest, in a -passionate longing for life and light. And despite her good heart, her -eyes ceaselessly turned to The Ladies' Paradise, as if, saleswoman -as she was, she felt the need of warming herself in the glow of that -immense business.</p> - -<p>"Plenty of customers over there at all events!" was the remark which at -last escaped her.</p> - -<p>But she promptly regretted these words on seeing the Baudus near her. -Madame Baudu, who had finished her lunch, was standing there, quite -white, with her pale eyes fixed on the monster; and resigned though she -tried to be, she could never catch sight of that place across the road, -without mute despair filling her eyes with tears. As for Geneviève, -she was anxiously watching Colomban, who, unaware that he was being -observed, remained in ecstasy, looking at the young saleswomen in the -mantle department of the Paradise, whose counter was visible through -the first floor window. Baudu, for his part, though his anger was -written on his face, merely remarked: "All is not gold that glitters. -Patience!"</p> - -<p>The members of the family evidently kept back the flood of rancour -rising in their throats. A feeling of self-esteem prevented them from -displaying their temper before these children, who had only that -morning arrived. At last the draper made an effort, and tore himself -away from the spectacle of The Paradise and its sales.</p> - -<p>"Well!" he resumed, "we'll go and see Vinçard. Situations are soon -snatched up and it might be too late to-morrow."</p> - -<p>However, before starting, he ordered his junior salesman to go to the -railway station to fetch Denise's box. On her side Madame Baudu, to -whom the girl had confided Pépé, decided to run over to see Madame Gras -in order to arrange about the child. Jean on the other hand promised -his sister not to stir from the shop.</p> - -<p>"It's two minutes' walk," explained Baudu as he went down the Rue -Gaillon with his niece: "Vinçard has a silk business, and still does a -fair trade. Oh, of course he has his worries, like every one else, but -he's an artful fellow, who makes both ends meet by his miserly ways. I -fancy, though, he wants to retire, on account of his rheumatics."</p> - -<p>Vinçard's shop was in the Rue Neuve-des-Petits-Champs, near the Passage -Choiseul. It was clean and light, well fitted up in the modern style, -but rather small, and contained but a poor stock. Baudu and Denise -found Vinçard in consultation with two gentlemen.</p> - -<p>"Never mind us," called out the draper; "we are in no hurry; we can -wait." And discreetly returning to the door he whispered to Denise: -"That thin fellow is second in the silk department at The Paradise, and -the stout man is a silk manufacturer from Lyons."</p> - -<p>Denise gathered that Vinçard was trying to sell his business to -Robineau of The Paradise. With a frank air, and open face, he was -giving his word of honour, with the facility of a man whom assurances -never troubled. According to him, his business was a golden one; and -albeit in the splendour of robust health he broke off to whine and -complain of those infernal pains of his which prevented him from -remaining in business and making his fortune. Robineau who seemed -nervous and uneasy interrupted him impatiently. He knew what a crisis -the trade was passing through, and named a silk warehouse which had -already been ruined by the vicinity of The Paradise. Then Vinçard, -inflamed, raised his voice.</p> - -<p>"No wonder! The downfall of that big booby Vabre was a foregone -conclusion. His wife spent everything he earned. Besides, we are more -than five hundred yards away, whilst Vabre was almost next door to The -Paradise."</p> - -<p>Gaujean, the silk manufacturer, then chimed in, and their voices -fell again. He accused the big establishments of ruining French -manufactures; three or four laid down the law, reigning like masters -over the market; and he gave it as his opinion that the only way to -fight them was to favour the small traders; above all, those who dealt -in specialties, for to them the future belonged. For that reason he -offered Robineau plenty of credit.</p> - -<p>"See how you have been treated at The Paradise," said he. "No notice -has been taken of your long service. You had the promise of the -first-hand's place long ago, when Bouthemont, an outsider without any -claim at all, came in and got it at once."</p> - -<p>Robineau was still smarting under this act of injustice. However, he -hesitated to start business on his own account, explaining that the -money came from his wife, who had inherited sixty thousand francs, and -he was full of scruples regarding this money, saying that he would -rather cut off his right hand than compromise it in a doubtful affair.</p> - -<p>"No," said he, "I haven't yet made up my mind; give me time to think -over it. We'll have another talk about it."</p> - -<p>"As you like," replied Vinçard, concealing his disappointment under -a smiling countenance. "My interest, you know, is not to sell; and I -certainly shouldn't were it not for my rheumatics——"</p> - -<p>Then stepping to the middle of the shop, he inquired: "What can I do -for you, Monsieur Baudu?"</p> - -<p>The draper, who had been slily listening, thereupon introduced Denise, -telling Vinçard as much as he thought necessary of her story and adding -that she had two years' country experience. "And as I heard you are -wanting a good saleswoman——" he added.</p> - -<p>But Vinçard, affecting extreme sorrow, cut him short: "How -unfortunate!" said he. "I had, indeed, been looking for a saleswoman -all this week; but I've just engaged one—not two hours ago."</p> - -<p>A silence ensued. Denise seemed to be in consternation. Robineau, -who was looking at her with interest, probably inspired with pity by -her poverty-stricken appearance, ventured to remark: "I know they're -wanting a young person at our place, in the mantle department."</p> - -<p>At this Baudu could not restrain a fervent outburst: "At your place -indeed! Never!"</p> - -<p>Then he stopped short in embarrassment. Denise had turned very red; -she would never dare to enter that great shop, and yet the idea of -belonging to it filled her with pride.</p> - -<p>"Why not?" asked Robineau, surprised. "It would be a good opening -for the young lady. I advise her to go and see Madame Aurélie, the -first-hand, to-morrow. The worst that can happen to her is to be -refused."</p> - -<p>The draper, to conceal his inward revolt, then began talking vaguely. -He knew Madame Aurélie, or, at least, her husband, Lhomme, the cashier, -a stout man, who had had his right arm crushed by an omnibus. Then -suddenly turning to Denise, he added: "However, it's her business, it -isn't mine. She can do as she likes."</p> - -<p>And thereupon he went off, after wishing Gaujean and Robineau -"good-day". Vinçard accompanied him as far as the door, reiterating -his regrets. The girl meantime had remained in the middle of the shop, -intimidated yet desirous of asking Robineau for further particulars. -However she could not muster the courage to do so, but in her turn -bowed, and simply said: "Thank you, sir."</p> - -<p>On the way back, Baudu said nothing to his niece, but as if carried -away by his reflections walked on very fast, forcing her to run in -order to keep up with him. On reaching the Rue de la Michodière, he -was about to enter his establishment when a neighbouring shopkeeper, -standing at his door, called to him.</p> - -<p>Denise stopped and waited.</p> - -<p>"What is it, Père Bourras?" asked the draper.</p> - -<p>Bourras was a tall old man, with a prophet's head, bearded and hairy, -with piercing eyes shining from under bushy brows. He kept an umbrella -and walking-stick shop, did repairs, and even carved handles, which -had won for him an artistic celebrity in the neighbourhood. Denise -glanced at the windows of his shop where the sticks and umbrellas were -arranged in straight lines. But on raising her eyes she was astonished -by the appearance of the house—it was an old hovel squeezed in between -The Ladies' Paradise and a large Louis XIV. mansion; you could hardly -conceive how it had sprung up in the narrow slit where its two low -dumpy storeys displayed themselves. Had it not been for the support of -the buildings on either side it must have fallen; the slates of its -roof were old and rotten, and its two-windowed front was cracked and -covered with stains, running down in long rusty lines to the worm-eaten -sign-board over the shop.</p> - -<p>"You know he's written to my landlord, offering to buy the house?" said -Bourras, looking steadily at the draper with his fiery eyes.</p> - -<p>Baudu became paler still, and bent his shoulders. There was a silence, -during which the two men remained face to face, looking very serious.</p> - -<p>"We must be prepared for anything," murmured Baudu at last.</p> - -<p>Thereupon Bourras flew into a passion, shaking his hair and flowing -beard while he shouted: "Let him buy the house, he'll have to pay four -times the value for it! But I swear that as long as I live he shan't -touch a stone of it. My lease has twelve years to run yet. We shall -see! we shall see!"</p> - -<p>It was a declaration of war. Bourras was looking towards The Ladies' -Paradise, which neither of them had named. For a moment Baudu remained -shaking his head in silence, and then crossed the street to his shop, -his legs almost failing him as he repeated: "Ah! good Lord! ah! good -Lord!"</p> - -<p>Denise, who had listened, followed her uncle. Madame Baudu had just -come back with Pépé, whom Madame Gras had agreed to receive at any -time. Jean, however, had disappeared, and this made his sister anxious. -When he returned with a flushed face, talking in an animated way of -the boulevards, she looked at him with such a sad expression that he -blushed with shame. Meantime their box had arrived, and it was arranged -that they should sleep in the attic.</p> - -<p>"Ah! By the way, how did you get on at Vinçard's?" inquired Madame -Baudu.</p> - -<p>The draper thereupon gave an account of his fruitless errand, adding -that Denise had heard of a situation; and, pointing to The Ladies' -Paradise with a scornful gesture, he exclaimed: "There—in there!"</p> - -<p>The whole family felt hurt at the idea. The first dinner was at five -o'clock. Denise and the two children sat down to it with Baudu, -Geneviève, and Colomban. A single gas jet lighted and warmed the little -dining-room which reeked with the smell of food. The meal passed off in -silence, but at dessert Madame Baudu, who was restless, left the shop, -and came and sat down behind Denise. And then the storm, kept back -all day, broke out, one and all seeking to relieve their feelings by -abusing the "monster".</p> - -<p>"It's your business, you can do as you like," repeated Baudu. "We -don't want to influence you. But if you only knew what sort of place -it is——" And in broken sentences he commenced to relate the story -of that Octave Mouret to whom The Paradise belonged. He had been -wonderfully lucky! A fellow who had come up from the South of France -with the smiling audacity of an adventurer, who had no sooner arrived -in Paris than he had begun to distinguish himself by all sorts of -disgraceful pranks, figuring most prominently in a matrimonial scandal, -which was still the talk of the neighbourhood; and who, to crown all, -had suddenly and mysteriously made the conquest of Madame Hédouin, who -had brought him The Ladies' Paradise as a marriage portion.</p> - -<p>"That poor Caroline!" interrupted Madame Baudu. "We were distantly -related. If she had lived things would be different. She wouldn't have -let them ruin us like this. And he's the man who killed her. Yes, with -that very building! One morning, when she was visiting the works, -she fell into a hole, and three days after she died. A fine, strong, -healthy woman, who had never known what illness was! There's some of -her blood in the foundations of that house."</p> - -<p>So speaking she pointed to the establishment opposite with her pale -and trembling hand. Denise, listening as to a fairy tale, slightly -shuddered; the sense of fear which had mingled with the temptation -she had felt since morning, was due, perhaps, to the presence of that -woman's blood, which she fancied she could now detect in the red mortar -of the basement.</p> - -<p>"It seems as if it brought him good luck," added Madame Baudu, without -mentioning Mouret by name.</p> - -<p>But the draper, full of disdain for these old women's tales, shrugged -his shoulders and resumed his story, explaining the situation -commercially. The Ladies' Paradise had been founded in 1822 by two -brothers, named Deleuze. On the death of the elder, his daughter, -Caroline, had married the son of a linen manufacturer, Charles Hédouin; -and, later on, becoming a widow, she had married Mouret. She thus -brought him a half share in the business. Three months after the -marriage, however, the second brother Deleuze died childless; so that -when Caroline met her death, Mouret became sole heir, sole proprietor -of The Ladies' Paradise. Yes, he had been wonderfully lucky!</p> - -<p>"He's what they call a man of ideas, a dangerous busybody, who will -overturn the whole neighbourhood if he's left to himself!" continued -Baudu. "I fancy that Caroline, who was rather romantic also, must have -been carried away by the gentleman's extravagant plans. In short, he -persuaded her to buy the house on the left, then the one on the right; -and he himself, on becoming his own master, bought two others; so that -the establishment has kept on growing and growing to such a point that -it now threatens to swallow us all up!"</p> - -<p>He was addressing Denise, but was in reality speaking for himself, -feeling a feverish longing to recapitulate this story which continually -haunted him. At home he was always angry and full of bile, always -violent, with fists ever clenched. Madame Baudu, ceasing to interfere, -sat motionless on her chair; Geneviève and Colomban, with eyes cast -down, were picking up and eating the crumbs off the table, just for the -sake of something to do. It was so warm, so stuffy in that tiny room -that Pépé had fallen asleep with his head on the table, and even Jean's -eyes were closing.</p> - -<p>"But wait a bit!" resumed Baudu, seized with a sudden fit of anger, -"such jokers always go to smash! Mouret is hard-pushed just now; I -know that for a fact. He's been forced to spend all his savings on his -mania for extensions and advertisements. Moreover, in order to raise -additional capital, he has induced most of his shop-people to invest -all they possess with him. And so he hasn't a sou to help himself with -now; and, unless a miracle be worked, and he manages to treble his -sales, as he hopes to do, you'll see what a crash there'll be! Ah! I'm -not ill-natured, but that day I'll illuminate my shop-front, I will, on -my word of honour!"</p> - -<p>And he went on in a revengeful voice; to hear him you would have -thought that the fall of The Ladies' Paradise would restore the -dignity and prestige of commerce. Had any one ever seen such doings? -A draper's shop selling everything! Why not call it a bazaar at once? -And the employees! a nice set they were too—a lot of puppies, who -did their work like porters at a railway station, treating both goods -and customers as if they were so many parcels; taking themselves off -or getting the sack at a moment's notice. No affection, no morals, -no taste! And all at once he appealed to Colomban as a witness; he, -Colomban, brought up in the good old school, knew how long it took to -learn all the cunning and trickery of the trade. The art was not to -sell much, but to sell dear. And then too, Colomban could tell them how -he had been treated, carefully looked after, his washing and mending -done, nursed in illness, considered as one of the family—loved, in -fact!</p> - -<p>"Of course, of course," repeated Colomban, after each statement made by -his governor.</p> - -<p>"Ah, you're the last of the old stock, my dear fellow," Baudu ended by -declaring. "After you're gone there'll be none left. You are my sole -consolation, for if all that hurry and scurry is what they now call -business I understand nothing of it and would rather clear out."</p> - -<p>Geneviève, with her head on one side as if her thick hair were weighing -down her pale brow, sat watching the smiling shopman; and in her -glance there was a gleam of suspicion, a wish to see whether Colomban, -stricken with remorse, would not blush at all this praise. But, like -a fellow well acquainted with every trick of the old style of trade, -he retained his sedateness, his good-natured air, with just a touch of -cunning about his lips. However, Baudu still went on, louder than ever, -accusing the people opposite—that pack of savages who murdered each -other in their struggle for existence—of even destroying all family -ties. And he mentioned his country neighbours, the Lhommes—mother, -father, and son—all employed in the infernal shop, people who -virtually had no home but were always out and about, leading a hotel, -<i>table d'hôte</i> kind of existence, and never taking a meal at their -own place excepting on Sundays. Certainly his dining-room wasn't over -large or too well aired or lighted; but at least it spoke to him of his -life, for he had lived there amidst the affection of his kith and kin. -Whilst speaking, his eyes wandered about the room; and he shuddered -at the unavowed idea that if those savages should succeed in ruining -his trade they might some day turn him out of this hole where he was -so comfortable with his wife and child. Notwithstanding the seeming -assurance with which he predicted the utter downfall of his rivals, he -was in reality terrified, feeling at heart that the neighbourhood was -being gradually invaded and devoured.</p> - -<p>"Well, I don't want to disgust you," he resumed, trying to calm -himself; "if you think it to your interest to go there, I shall be the -first to say, 'go.'"</p> - -<p>"I am sure of that, uncle," murmured Denise in bewilderment, her desire -to enter The Ladies' Paradise, growing keener and keener amidst all -this display of passion.</p> - -<p>Baudu had put his elbows on the table, and was wearying her with -his fixed stare. "But look here," he resumed; "you who know the -business, do you think it right that a simple draper's shop should -sell everything? Formerly, when trade was trade, drapers sold nothing -but drapery. But now they are doing their best to snap up every branch -of trade and ruin their neighbours. The whole neighbourhood complains -of it, every small tradesman is beginning to suffer terribly. This -man Mouret is ruining them. For instance, Bédoré and his sister, who -keep the hosiery shop in the Rue Gaillon, have already lost half their -customers; Mademoiselle Tatin, who sells under-linen in the Passage -Choiseul, has been obliged to lower her prices, to be able to sell at -all. And the effects of this scourge, this pest, are felt as far as -the Rue Neuve-des-Petits-Champs, where I hear that Messrs. Vanpouille -Brothers, the furriers, cannot hold out much longer. Ah! Drapers -selling fur goods—what a farce! another of Mouret's ideas!"</p> - -<p>"And gloves," added Madame Baudu; "isn't it monstrous? He has even -dared to add a glove department! Yesterday, when I passed down the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin, I saw Quinette, the glover, at his door, looking -so downcast that I hadn't the heart to ask him how business was going."</p> - -<p>"And umbrellas," resumed Baudu; "that's the climax! Bourras is -convinced that Mouret simply wants to ruin him; for, in short, where's -the rhyme between umbrellas and drapery? But Bourras is firm on his -legs, and won't let himself be butchered! We shall see some fun one of -these days."</p> - -<p>Then Baudu went on to speak of other tradesmen, passing the whole -neighbourhood in review. Now and again he let slip a confession. If -Vinçard wanted to sell it was time for the rest to pack up, for Vinçard -was like the rats who make haste to leave a house when it threatens -ruin. Then, however, immediately afterwards, he contradicted himself, -and talked of an alliance, an understanding between the small tradesmen -to enable them to fight the colossus. For a moment, his hands shaking, -and his mouth twitching nervously, he hesitated as to whether he should -speak of himself. At last he made up his mind to do so.</p> - -<p>"As for me," he said, "I can't complain as yet. Of course he has -done me harm, the scoundrel! But up to the present he has only kept -ladies' cloths, light stuffs for dresses and heavier goods for mantles. -People still come to me for men's goods, velvets and velveteens for -shooting suits, cloths for liveries, without speaking of flannels and -<i>molletons</i>, of which I defy him to show so complete an assortment as -my own. But he thinks he will annoy me by placing his cloth department -right in front of my door. You've seen his display, haven't you? He -always places his finest mantles there, surrounded by a framework of -cloth in pieces—a cheapjack parade to tempt the hussies. Upon my word, -I should be ashamed to use such means! The Old Elbeuf has been known -for nearly a hundred years, and has no need of any such catchpenny -devices at its door. As long as I live, it shall remain as I took it, -with its four samples on each side, and nothing more!"</p> - -<p>The whole family was becoming affected; and after a spell of silence -Geneviève ventured to make a remark:</p> - -<p>"Our customers know and like us, papa," said she. "We mustn't lose -heart. Madame Desforges and Madame de Boves have been to-day, and I am -expecting Madame Marty for some flannel."</p> - -<p>"For my part," declared Colomban, "I took an order from Madame -Bourdelais yesterday. 'Tis true she spoke of an English cheviot marked -up opposite ten sous cheaper than ours, and the same stuff, it appears."</p> - -<p>"Fancy," murmured Madame Baudu in her weak voice, "we knew that house -when it was scarcely larger than a handkerchief! Yes, my dear Denise, -when the Deleuzes started it, it had only one window in the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin; and such a tiny one, there was barely room for a -couple of pieces of print and two or three pieces of calico. There was -no room to turn round in the shop, it was so small. At that time The -Old Elbeuf, after sixty years' trading, was already such as you see it -now. Ah! all has greatly changed, greatly changed!"</p> - -<p>She shook her head; the drama of her whole life was expressed in those -few words. Born in the old house, she loved each of its damp stones, -living only for it and by it; and, formerly so proud of that house, -the finest, the best patronised in the neighbourhood, she had had -the daily grief of seeing the rival establishment gradually growing -in importance, at first disdained, then equal to her own and finally -towering above it, and threatening all. This was to her an ever-open -sore; she was slowly dying from sheer grief at seeing The Old Elbeuf -humiliated; if she still lived it was, as in the case of the shop -itself, solely by the effect of impulsion; but she well realised that -the death of the shop would be hers as well, and that she would pass -away on the day when it should close.</p> - -<p>Silence fell. Baudu began softly beating a tattoo with his fingers on -the American cloth on the table. He experienced a sort of lassitude, -almost a regret at having once more relieved his feelings in this way. -The whole family shared his despondency, and with dreamy eyes chewed -the cud of his bitter story. They never had had any luck. The children -had been brought up and fortune had seemed at hand, when suddenly this -competition had arisen and ruined all their hopes. And there was, also, -that house at Rambouillet, that country house to which the draper had -been dreaming of retiring for the last ten years—a bargain, he had -thought when he acquired it, but it had proved a sorry old building, -always in want of repairs, and he had let it to people who never -paid any rent. His last profits were swallowed up by this place—the -only folly he had been guilty of in his honest, upright career as a -tradesman stubbornly attached to the old ways.</p> - -<p>"Come, come!" he suddenly exclaimed, "we must make room for the others. -That's enough of this useless talk!"</p> - -<p>It was like an awakening. The gas was hissing in the lifeless, stifling -air of the tiny room. They all jumped up, breaking the melancholy -silence. Pépé, however, was sleeping so soundly that they decided to -lay him on some bales of cloth. Jean had already returned to the street -door yawning.</p> - -<p>"In short," repeated Baudu to his niece, "you can do as you like. -We have explained the matter to you, that's all. You know your own -business best."</p> - -<p>He gave her an urgent glance, waiting for a decisive answer. But -Denise, whom these stories had inspired with a still greater longing to -enter The Ladies' Paradise, instead of turning her from it, retained -her quiet gentle demeanour beneath which lurked a genuine Norman -obstinacy. And she simply replied: "We'll see, uncle."</p> - -<p>Then she spoke of going to bed early with the children, for they were -all three very tired. But it had only just struck six, so she decided -to stay in the shop a little longer. Night had now come on, and she -found the street quite dark, drenched by a fine close rain, which had -been falling since sunset. It came on her as a surprise. A few minutes -had sufficed to fill the roadway with puddles, a stream of dirty -water was running along the gutters, the pavement was sticky with a -thick black mud; and through the beating rain she saw nothing but a -confused stream of umbrellas, pushing along and swelling in the gloom -like great black wings. She started back at first, feeling very cold, -oppressed at heart by the badly-lighted shop, now so extremely dismal. -A moist breeze, the breath of that old quarter of Paris, came in from -the street; it seemed as if the rain, streaming from the umbrellas, -was running right up to the counters, as if the pavement with its mud -and its puddles was coming into the shop, putting the finishing touch -to the mouldiness of that ancient, cavernous ground-floor, white with -saltpetre. It was quite a vision of old Paris in the wet, and it made -her shiver with distressful astonishment at finding the great city so -cold and so ugly.</p> - -<p>But across the road The Ladies' Paradise glowed with its deep, serried -lines of gas jets. She moved nearer, again attracted and, as it were, -warmed by that ardent blaze. The machine was still roaring, active as -ever, letting its steam escape with a last roar, whilst the salesmen -folded up the stuffs, and the cashiers counted the receipts. Seen -through the hazy windows, the lights swarmed vaguely, revealing a -confused factory-like interior. Behind the curtain of falling rain, -the vision, blurred and distant, assumed the appearance of a giant -furnace-house, where the shadows of firemen passed black against the -red glare of the furnaces. The displays in the windows likewise became -indistinct: you could only distinguish the snowy lace, its whiteness -heightened by the ground glass globes of a row of gas jets, and against -this chapel-like background the ready-made goods stood out vigorously, -the velvet mantle trimmed with silver fox setting amidst them all the -curved silhouette of a headless woman who seemed to be running through -the rain to some entertainment in the unknown shades of nocturnal Paris.</p> - -<p>Denise, yielding to the fascination, had gone to the door, heedless of -the raindrops dripping upon her. At this hour, The Ladies' Paradise, -with its furnace-like brilliancy, completed its conquest of her. In the -great metropolis, black and silent beneath the rain—in this Paris, to -which she was a stranger, it shone out like a lighthouse, and seemed -to be of itself the life and light of the city. She dreamed of her -future there, working hard to bring up the children, with other things -besides—she hardly knew what—far-off things however, the desire and -fear of which made her tremble. The idea of that woman who had met her -death amidst the foundations came back to her; and she felt afraid, -fancying that the lights were tinged with blood; but the whiteness of -the lace quieted her, a hope, quite a certainty of happiness, sprang up -in her heart, whilst the fine rain, blowing on her, cooled her hands, -and calmed the feverishness within her, born of her journey.</p> - -<p>"It's Bourras," all at once said a voice behind her.</p> - -<p>She leant forward, and perceived the umbrella-maker, motionless before -the window containing the ingenious roof-like construction of umbrellas -and walking-sticks which she had noticed in the morning. The old man -had slipped up there in the dark, to feast his eyes on that triumphant -show; and so great was his grief that he was unconscious of the rain -beating down on his bare head, and streaming off his long white hair.</p> - -<p>"How stupid he is, he'll make himself ill," resumed the voice.</p> - -<p>Then, turning round, Denise again found the Baudus behind her. Though -they thought Bourras so stupid, they also, despite themselves, ever -and ever returned to the contemplation of that spectacle which rent -their hearts. It was, so to say, a rageful desire to suffer. Geneviève, -very pale, had noticed that Colomban was watching the shadows of the -saleswomen pass to and fro on the first floor opposite; and, whilst -Baudu almost choked with suppressed rancour, Madame Baudu began -silently weeping.</p> - -<p>"You'll go and see, to-morrow, won't you, Denise?" asked the draper, -tormented with uncertainty, but feeling that his niece was conquered -like the rest.</p> - -<p>She hesitated, then gently replied: "Yes, uncle, unless it pains you -too much."</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a></h4> - - -<p>The next morning, at half-past seven, Denise was outside The Ladies' -Paradise, wishing to call there before taking Jean to his new place, -which was a long way off, at the top of the Faubourg du Temple. But, -accustomed as she was to early hours, she had come down too soon; the -employees were barely arriving and, afraid of looking ridiculous, -overcome by timidity, she remained for a moment walking up and down the -Place Gaillon.</p> - -<p>The cold wind that blew had already dried the pavement. From all the -surrounding streets, illumined by a pale early light, falling from an -ashen sky, shopmen were hurriedly approaching with their coat-collars -turned up, and their hands in their pockets, taken unawares by this -first chill of winter. Most of them hurried along alone, and vanished -into the warehouse, without addressing a word or look to their -colleagues marching along around them. Others however came up in twos -and threes, talking fast, and monopolising the whole of the pavement; -and all, with a similar gesture, flung away their cigarettes or cigars -before crossing the threshold.</p> - -<p>Denise noticed that several of the gentlemen took stock of her in -passing. This increased her timidity; and she no longer had courage to -follow them, but resolved to wait till they had entered, blushing at -the mere idea of being elbowed at the door by all these men. However -the stream of salesmen still flowed on, and in order to escape their -looks, she took a walk round the Place. When she came back again, she -found a tall young man, pale and awkward, who appeared to be waiting -like herself.</p> - -<p>"I beg your pardon, mademoiselle," he finished by stammering, "but -perhaps you belong to the establishment?"</p> - -<p>She was so troubled at hearing a stranger address her that she did not -at first reply.</p> - -<p>"The fact is," he continued, getting more confused than ever, "I -thought of applying to see if I could get an engagement, and you might -have given me a little information."</p> - -<p>He was as timid as she was, and had probably risked speaking to her -because he divined that she was trembling like himself.</p> - -<p>"I would with pleasure, sir," she at last replied. "But I'm no better -off than you are; I'm just going to apply myself."</p> - -<p>"Ah, very good," said he, quite out of countenance.</p> - -<p>Thereupon they both blushed deeply, and still all timidity remained for -a moment face to face, affected by the striking similarity of their -positions yet not daring to openly express a desire for each other's -success. Then, as nothing further fell from either and both became more -and more uncomfortable, they parted awkwardly, and renewed their wait, -one on either side at a distance of a few steps.</p> - -<p>The shopmen continued to arrive, and Denise could now hear them joking -as they passed, casting side glances towards her. Her confusion -increased at finding herself thus on exhibition, and she had decided -to take half an hour's walk in the neighbourhood, when the sight of a -young man approaching rapidly by way of the Rue Port-Mahon, detained -her for another moment. He was probably the manager of a department, -thought she, for all the others raised their hats to him. Tall, with a -clear skin and carefully trimmed beard, he had eyes the colour of old -gold and of a velvety softness, which he fixed on her for a moment as -he crossed the Place. He was already entering the shop with an air of -indifference, while she remained motionless, quite upset by that glance -of his, filled indeed with a singular emotion, in which there was more -uneasiness than pleasure. Without doubt, fear was gaining on her, and, -to give herself time to collect her courage, she began slowly walking -down the Rue Gaillon, and then along the Rue Saint-Roch.</p> - -<p>The person who had so disturbed her was more than the manager of a -department, it was Octave Mouret in person. He had been making a night -of it, and his tightly buttoned overcoat concealed a dress suit and -white tie. In all haste he ran upstairs to his rooms, washed himself -and changed his clothes, and when he at last seated himself at his -table, in his private office on the first floor, he was at his ease -and full of strength, with bright eyes and cool skin, as ready for -work as if he had enjoyed ten hours' sleep. The spacious office, -furnished in old oak and hung with green rep, had but one ornament, the -portrait of that Madame Hédouin, who was still the talk of the whole -neighbourhood. Since her death Octave ever thought of her with tender -regret, grateful as he felt to her for the fortune she had bestowed on -him with her hand. And before commencing to sign the drafts laid upon -his blotting-pad he darted upon her portrait the contented smile of a -happy man. Was it not always before her that he returned to work, after -the escapades of his present single-blessedness?</p> - -<p>There came a knock however, and before Mouret could answer, a young -man entered, a tall, bony fellow, very gentlemanly and correct in -his appearance, with thin lips, a sharp nose and smooth hair already -showing signs of turning grey. Mouret raised his eyes, then whilst -still signing the drafts, remarked:</p> - -<p>"I hope you slept well, Bourdoncle?"</p> - -<p>"Very well, thanks," replied the young man, walking about as if he were -quite at home.</p> - -<p>Bourdoncle, the son of a poor farmer near Limoges, had begun his career -at The Ladies' Paradise at the same time as Mouret, when it only -occupied the corner of the Place Gaillon. Very intelligent and very -active, it then seemed as if he would easily supplant his comrade, who -was much less steady, and far too fond of love-affairs; but he had -neither the instinctive genius of the impassioned Southerner, nor his -audacity, nor his winning grace. Besides, by a wise instinct, he had, -from the first bowed before him, obedient without a struggle. When -Mouret had advised his people to put their money into the business, -Bourdoncle had been one of the first to do so, even investing in the -establishment the proceeds of an unexpected legacy left him by an aunt; -and little by little, after passing through all the various stages, -such as salesman, second, and then first-hand in the silk department, -he had become one of Octave's most cherished and influential -lieutenants, one of the six intéressés<a name="FNanchor_1_2" id="FNanchor_1_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_2" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> who assisted him to govern -The Ladies' Paradise—forming something like a privy council under -an absolute king. Each one watched over a department or province. -Bourdoncle, for his part, exercised a general surveillance.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_2" id="Footnote_1_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_2"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> In the great Paris magasins de nouveautés such as the -Louvre and Bon Marché there have been at various stages numerous -intéressés, that is partners of a kind who whilst entitled to some -share of the profits, exercise but a strictly limited control in the -management of the establishment's affairs.—<i>Trans.</i></p></div> - -<p>"And you," resumed he, familiarly, "have you slept Well?"</p> - -<p>When Mouret replied that he had not been to bed, he shook his head, -murmuring: "Bad habits."</p> - -<p>"Why?" replied the other, gaily. "I'm not so tired as you are, my dear -fellow. You are half asleep now, you lead too quiet a life. Take a -little amusement, that'll wake you up a bit."</p> - -<p>This was their constant friendly dispute. Bourdoncle who professed to -hate all women, contented himself with encouraging the extravagance -of the lady customers, feeling meantime the greatest disdain for -the frivolity which led them to ruin themselves in stupid gewgaws. -Mouret, on the contrary, affected to worship them, ever showed himself -delighted and cajoling in their presence and was ever embarking in -fresh love-affairs. This served, as it were, as an advertisement for -his business; and you might have said that he enveloped all women in -the same caress the better to bewilder them and keep them at his mercy.</p> - -<p>"I saw Madame Desforges last night, she was looking delicious at that -ball," said he, beginning to relate his evening experiences. But then, -abruptly breaking off, he took up another bundle of drafts, which he -began to sign whilst Bourdoncle continued to walk about, stepping -towards the lofty plate-glass windows whence he glanced into the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin. Then, retracing his steps, he suddenly exclaimed: -"You know they'll have their revenge."</p> - -<p>"Who will?" asked Mouret, who had lost the thread of the conversation.</p> - -<p>"Why, the women."</p> - -<p>At this, Mouret became quite merry, displaying, beneath his adorative -manner, his really brutal character. With a shrug of the shoulders he -seemed to declare he would throw them all over, like so many empty -sacks, as soon as they should have finished helping him to make his -fortune. But Bourdoncle in his frigid way obstinately repeated: "They -will have their revenge; there will be one who will some day avenge all -the others. It's bound to be."</p> - -<p>"No fear," cried Mouret, exaggerating his Southern accent. "That one -isn't born yet, my boy. And if she comes, you know, why there——"</p> - -<p>So saying he raised his penholder, brandishing it and pointing it in -the air, as if he were bent on stabbing some invisible heart with a -knife. Bourdoncle thereupon resumed his walk, bowing as usual before -the superiority of the governor, whose genius, with all its lapses, -disconcerted him. He, himself so clear-headed, logical and passionless, -incapable of falling into the toils of a syren, had yet to learn the -feminine character of success, all Paris yielding herself with a kiss -to her boldest assailant.</p> - -<p>A silence fell, broken only by the sound of Mouret's pen. Then, in -reply to his brief questions, Bourdoncle gave him various information -respecting of the great sale of winter novelties, which was to commence -on the following Monday. This was an important affair, the house was -risking its fortune in it; for the rumours of the neighbourhood had -some foundation, Mouret was throwing himself into speculation like -a poet, with such ostentation, such desire to attain the colossal, -that everything seemed likely to give way under him. It was quite a -new style of doing business, a seeming commercial phantasy which had -formerly made Madame Hédouin anxious, and even now, notwithstanding -certain successes, quite dismayed those who had capital in the -business. They blamed the governor in secret for going too quick; -accused him of having enlarged the establishment to a dangerous extent, -before making sure of a sufficient increase of custom; above all, they -trembled on seeing him put all the available cash into one venture, -filling the departments with a pile of goods without leaving a copper -in the reserve fund. Thus, for this winter sale, after the heavy sums -recently paid to the builders, the whole capital was exhausted and -it once more became a question of victory or death. Yet Mouret in -the midst of all this excitement, preserved a triumphant gaiety, a -certainty of gaining millions, like a man so worshipped by women, that -there could be no question of betrayal. When Bourdoncle ventured to -express certain fears with reference to the excessive development given -to several departments of doubtful profit he gave vent to a laugh full -of confidence, and exclaimed:</p> - -<p>"Pooh, pooh! my dear fellow, the place is still too small!"</p> - -<p>The other appeared dumbfounded, seized with a fear which he no longer -attempted to conceal. The house too small! an establishment which -comprised nineteen departments, and numbered four hundred and three -employees!</p> - -<p>"Of course," resumed Mouret, "we shall be obliged to enlarge our -premises again before another eighteen months are over. I'm seriously -thinking about the matter. Last night Madame Desforges promised to -introduce me to some one who may be useful. In short, we'll talk it -over when the idea is ripe."</p> - -<p>Then having finished signing his drafts, he rose, and tapped his -lieutenant on the shoulder in a friendly manner, but the latter could -not get over his astonishment. The fright displayed by the prudent -people around him amused Mouret. In one of those fits of brusque -frankness with which he sometimes overwhelmed his familiars, he -declared that he was at heart a greater Jew than all the Jews in the -world; he took, said he, after his father, whom he resembled physically -and morally, a fellow who knew the value of money; and, if his mother -had given him that dash of nervous fantasy which he displayed, it -was, perhaps, the principal element of his luck, for he felt that his -ability to dare everything was an invincible force.</p> - -<p>"Oh! You know very well that we'll stand by you to the last," -Bourdoncle finished by saying.</p> - -<p>Then, before going down into the shop to give their usual look round, -they settled certain other details. They examined a specimen of a -little book of account forms, which Mouret had just invented for the -use of his employees. Having remarked that the old-fashioned goods, -the dead stock, went off the more rapidly the higher the commission -allowed to the employees, he had based on this observation quite a -new system, that of interesting his people in the sale of all the -goods, giving them a commission on even the smallest piece of stuff, -the most trumpery article they sold. This innovation had caused quite -a revolution in the drapery trade, creating between the salespeople -a struggle for existence of which the masters reaped the benefits. -To foment this struggle was indeed Mouret's favourite method, the -principle which he constantly applied. He excited his employees' -passions, pitted one against the other, allowed the stronger to swallow -up the weaker ones, and for his own part battened on this struggle of -conflicting interests. The sample account book was duly approved of; -at the top of each leaf on both counterfoil and bill form, appeared -particulars of the department and the salesman's number; then also in -duplicate came columns for the measurement, the description of the -goods sold, and their price. The salesman simply signed the bill form -before handing it to the cashier; and in this way an easy account was -kept: it was only necessary to compare the bill-forms delivered by -the cashier's department to the clearing-house with the salesmen's -counterfoils. Every week the latter would receive their commission, -without any possibility of error.</p> - -<p>"We shan't be robbed so much," remarked Bourdoncle, with satisfaction. -"This was a very good idea of yours."</p> - -<p>"And I thought of something else last night," explained Mouret. "Yes, -my dear fellow, at supper. I have an idea of giving the clearing-house -clerks a little bonus for every error they detect while checking the -bills. You understand, eh? Like this we shall be sure that they won't -pass any, for rather than do that they'll be inventing mistakes!"</p> - -<p>He began to laugh, whilst the other looked at him admiringly. This new -application of the struggle-for-existence theory delighted Mouret; -he had a real genius for administrative functions, and dreamed of so -organizing the establishment as to trade upon the selfish instincts of -his employees, for the greater satisfaction of his own appetites. He -often said that to make people do their best, and even to keep them -fairly honest, it was first of all necessary to excite their selfish -desires.</p> - -<p>"Well, let's go downstairs," he resumed. "We must look after this sale. -The silk arrived yesterday, I believe, and Bouthemont must be getting -it in now."</p> - -<p>Bourdoncle followed him. The receiving office was in the basement on -the side of the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin. There, on a level with the -pavement, was a kind of glazed cage, into which the vans discharged the -goods. They were weighed, and then shot down a rapid slide, whose oak -and iron work was polished by the constant chaffing of bales and cases. -Everything entered by this yawning trap; it was a continuous swallowing -up, a niagara of goods, falling with a roar like that of a torrent. -At the approach of big sale times especially, the slide brought down -an endless stream of Lyons silks, English woollens, Flemish linens, -Alsatian calicoes, and Rouen prints. The vans were sometimes obliged to -wait their turn along the street; and as each bale rushed down to the -basement there arose a sound as of a stone thrown into deep water.</p> - -<p>On his way Mouret stopped for a moment before the slide, which was in -full activity. Rows of cases were coming down of themselves, falling -like rain from some upper stream. Then bales appeared, toppling over in -their descent like rolling stones. Mouret looked on, without saying a -word. But this wealth of goods rushing in to his establishment at the -rate of thousands of francs each minute, made his clear eyes glisten. -He had never before had such a clear, definite idea of the struggle he -was engaged in. It was this falling mountain of goods which he must -cast to the four corners of Paris. He did not open his mouth, however, -but continued his inspection.</p> - -<p>By the grey light which came in through the large vent-holes, a squad -of men were receiving the goods, whilst others removed the lids of the -cases and opened the bales in presence of the managers of different -departments. A dockyard kind of bustle filled this basement, whose -vaulted roofing was supported by wrought-iron pillars and whose bare -walls were simply cemented.</p> - -<p>"Have you got everything there, Bouthemont?" asked Mouret, approaching -a broad-shouldered young fellow who was checking the contents of a case.</p> - -<p>"Yes, everything seems all right," replied he, "but the counting will -take me all the morning."</p> - -<p>Then the manager of the silk department ran down an invoice he held, -standing the while before a large counter on which one of his salesmen -deposited, one by one, the pieces of silk which he took from an open -case. Behind them ran other counters, also littered with goods which -a small army of shopmen was examining. It was a general unpacking, a -seeming confusion of stuffs, inspected, turned over, and marked, amidst -a continuous buzz of voices.</p> - -<p>Bouthemont who was becoming a celebrity in the trade, had the round, -jovial face of a right good fellow, with a coal-black beard, and fine -hazel eyes. Born at Montpellier, noisy, and over fond of pleasure, -he was not of much good for the sales, but in buying he had not his -equal. Sent to Paris by his father, who kept a draper's shop in his -native town, he had absolutely refused to return home when the old -fellow, thinking that he ought to know enough to succeed him in his -business, had summoned him to do so; and from that moment a rivalry -had sprung up between father and son, the former, absorbed in his -little country business and shocked to see a simple shopman earning -three times as much as he did himself, and the latter joking at the -old man's humdrum routine, chinking his money, and throwing the whole -house into confusion at every flying visit he paid. Like the other -managers, Bouthemont drew, besides his three thousand francs regular -pay, a commission on the sales. Montpellier, surprised and respectful, -whispered that young Bouthemont had made fifteen thousand francs the -year before, and that that was only a beginning—people prophesied to -the exasperated father that this figure would certainly increase.</p> - -<p>Meantime Bourdoncle had taken up one of the pieces of silk, and was -examining the texture with the eye of a connoisseur. It was a faille -with a blue and silver selvage, the famous Paris Delight, with which -Mouret hoped to strike a decisive blow.</p> - -<p>"It is really very good," observed Bourdoncle.</p> - -<p>"And the effect it produces is better than its real quality," said -Bouthemont. "Dumonteil is the only one capable of manufacturing such -stuff. Last journey when I fell out with Gaujean, the latter was -willing to set a hundred looms to work on this pattern, but he asked -five sous a yard more."</p> - -<p>Nearly every month Bouthemont went to Lyons, staying there days -together, living at the best hôtels, with orders to treat the -manufacturers with open purse. He enjoyed, moreover, a perfect liberty, -and bought what he liked, provided that he increased the yearly -business of his department in a certain proportion, settled beforehand; -and it was on this proportion that his commission was based. In short, -his position at The Ladies' Paradise, like that of all the managers, -was that of a special tradesman, in a grouping of various businesses, a -sort of vast trading city.</p> - -<p>"So," resumed he, "it's decided we mark it at five francs twelve sous? -It's barely the cost price, you know."</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes, five francs twelve sous," said Mouret, quickly; "and if I -were alone, I'd sell it at a loss."</p> - -<p>The manager laughed heartily. "Oh! I don't mind, its cheapness will -treble the sales and my only interest is to secure heavy receipts—-"</p> - -<p>But Bourdoncle remained grave, biting his lips. For his part he drew -his commission on the total profits, and it was not to his advantage -that the prices should be lowered. As it happened, a part of his -duties was to exercise a control over the prices fixed upon in order -to prevent Bouthemont from selling at too small a profit for the sole -purpose of increasing the sales. Moreover, all his former anxiety -reappeared in the presence of these advertising combinations which -he did not understand, and he ventured to display his repugnance by -remarking:</p> - -<p>"If we sell it at five francs twelve sous, it will be like selling it -at a loss, as we must allow for our expenses, which are considerable. -It would fetch seven francs anywhere."</p> - -<p>At this Mouret got angry. Striking the silk with his open hand he -exclaimed excitedly: "I know that, that's why I want to give it to our -customers. Really, my dear fellow, you'll never understand women's -ways. Don't you see that they'll fight together over this silk?"</p> - -<p>"No doubt," interrupted the other, obstinately, "and the more they buy, -the more we shall lose."</p> - -<p>"We shall lose a few sous on the stuff, very likely. But what can that -matter, if in return we attract all the women here, and keep them at -our mercy, fascinated, maddened by the sight of our goods, emptying -their purses without thinking? The principal thing, my dear fellow, is -to inflame them, and for that purpose you must have an article which -will flatter them and cause a sensation. Afterwards, you can sell the -other articles as dear as they are sold anywhere else, they'll still -think yours the cheapest. For instance, our Golden Grain, that taffetas -at seven francs and a half, sold everywhere at the same price, will go -down as an extraordinary bargain, and suffice to make up for the loss -on the Paris Delight. You'll see, you'll see!"</p> - -<p>He was becoming quite eloquent. "Don't you understand?" he resumed, -"In a week's time from to-day I want the Paris Delight to effect a -revolution in the market. It's our master-stroke, which will save us -and send our name everything. Nothing else will be talked of; that blue -and silver selvage will be known from one to the other end of France. -And you'll hear the furious complaints of our competitors. The small -traders will lose another wing by it. Yes, we shall have done for all -those slop-sellers who are dying of rheumatism in their cellars!"</p> - -<p>The shopmen checking the goods round-about were listening and smiling. -Mouret liked to talk in this way without contradiction. Bourdoncle -yielded once more. However, the case of silk was now empty and two men -were opening another.</p> - -<p>"It's the manufacturers who are vexed," now said Bouthemont. "At Lyons -they are all furious with you, they pretend that your cheap trading is -ruining them. You are aware that Gaujean has positively declared war -against me. Yes, he has sworn to give long credits to the little houses -rather than accept my prices."</p> - -<p>Mouret shrugged his shoulders. "If Gaujean doesn't behave sensibly," he -replied, "Gaujean will be floored. What do they all complain of? We pay -ready money and we take all they can make; it's strange if they can't -work cheaper at that rate. Besides, the public gets the benefit, and -that's everything."</p> - -<p>The shopman now began emptying the second case, whilst Bouthemont -checked the pieces by the invoice. Another employee at the end of -the counter then marked them in plain figures, and the checking -finished, the invoice, signed by the manager, had to be sent to the -chief cashier's office. For another minute Mouret continued looking -at the work, at all the activity around this unpacking of goods which -threatened to drown the basement; then, never adding a word but with -the air of a captain satisfied with his men, he went off, again -followed by Bourdoncle.</p> - -<p>They slowly crossed the basement floor. The air-holes placed at -intervals admitted a pale light; while in the dark corners, and -along the narrow corridors, gas was constantly burning. In these -corridors were the reserves, large vaults closed with iron railings, -containing the surplus goods of each department. As he passed along -Mouret glanced at the heating apparatus which was to be lighted -on the following Monday for the first time, and at the firemen -guarding a giant gas-meter enclosed in an iron cage. The kitchen and -dining-rooms, old cellars turned into habitable apartments, were on -the left near the corner of the Place Gaillon. At last, right at -the other end of the basement, he arrived at the delivery office. -Here, all the purchases which customers did not take away with them, -were sent down, sorted on tables, and placed in compartments each of -which represented a particular district of Paris; then by a large -staircase opening just opposite The Old Elbeuf, they were sent up to -the vans standing alongside the pavement. In the mechanical working -of The Ladies' Paradise, this staircase in the Rue de la Michodière -was ever disgorging the goods devoured by the slide in the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin, after they had passed through the mill of the -counters up above.</p> - -<p>"Campion," said Mouret to the delivery manager, a retired sergeant -with a thin face, "why weren't six pairs of sheets, bought by a lady -yesterday about two o'clock, delivered in the evening?"</p> - -<p>"Where does the lady live?" asked the employee.</p> - -<p>"In the Rue de Rivoli, at the corner of the Rue d'Alger—Madame -Desforges."</p> - -<p>At this early hour the sorting tables were yet bare and the -compartments only contained a few parcels left over night. Whilst -Campion was searching amongst these packets, after consulting a list, -Bourdoncle looked at Mouret, reflecting that this wonderful fellow knew -everything, thought of everything, even when he was supposed to be -amusing himself. At last Campion discovered the error; the cashiers' -department had given a wrong number, and the parcel had come back.</p> - -<p>"What is the number of the pay-desk that debited the order?" asked -Mouret: "No. 10, you say?" And turning towards his lieutenant, he -added: "No. 10; that's Albert, isn't it? We'll just say two words to -him."</p> - -<p>However, before starting on a tour round the shops, he wanted to go up -to the postal order department, which occupied several rooms on the -second floor. It was there that all the provincial and foreign orders -arrived; and he went up every morning to see the correspondence. For -two years this correspondence had been increasing daily. At first -occupying only a dozen clerks, it now required more than thirty. Some -opened the letters and others read them, seated on either side of the -same table; others again classified them, giving each one a running -number, which was repeated on a pigeon-hole. Then when the letters -had been distributed to the different departments and the latter had -delivered the articles ordered, these articles were placed in the -pigeon-holes as they arrived, in accordance with running numbers. -Nothing then remained but to check and pack them, which was done in a -neighbouring room by a squad of workmen who were nailing and tying up -from morning to night.</p> - -<p>Mouret put his usual question: "How many letters this morning, -Levasseur?"</p> - -<p>"Five hundred and thirty-four, sir," replied the chief clerk. "After -the new sale has begun on Monday, I'm afraid we sha'n't have enough -hands. Yesterday we were driven very hard."</p> - -<p>Bourdoncle expressed his satisfaction by a nod of the head. He had not -reckoned on five hundred and thirty-four letters arriving on a Tuesday. -Round the table, the clerks continued opening and reading the letters, -the paper rustling all the time, whilst before the pigeon-holes the -various articles ordered began to arrive. This was one of the most -complicated and important departments of the establishment, and the -rush was continual, for, strictly speaking, all the orders received in -the morning ought to be sent off the same evening.</p> - -<p>"You shall have whatever more hands you want," replied Mouret, who had -seen at a glance that the work of the department was well done. "When -there's work," he added, "we never refuse the men."</p> - -<p>Up above, under the roof, were the bedrooms occupied by the saleswomen. -However, Mouret went downstairs again and entered the chief cash -office, which was near his own. It was a room with a glazed partition -in which was a metal-work wicket, and it contained an enormous safe, -fixed in the wall. Two cashiers here centralised the receipts which -Lhomme, the chief cashier of the sales' service, brought in every -evening; and with these receipts they discharged the current expenses, -paid the manufacturers, the staff, all the people indeed who lived -by the house. Their office communicated with another, full of green -cardboard boxes, where some ten clerks checked the innumerable -invoices. Then came yet a third office, the clearing-house, so to say, -where six young men bending over black desks, with quite a collection -of registers behind them, made up the commission accounts of the -salesmen, by checking the debit notes. This department but recently -organized did not as yet work particularly well.</p> - -<p>Mouret and Bourdoncle crossed the cashier's office and the invoice -room and when they passed into the third office the young men there, -who were laughing and joking together, started with surprise. Mouret, -without reprimanding them, thereupon explained his scheme of giving -them a little bonus for each error they might detect in the debit -notes; and when he went out the clerks, quite cured of all inclination -for idle laughter, set to work in earnest, hunting for errors.</p> - -<p>On reaching the ground-floor, occupied by the shops, Mouret went -straight to pay-desk No. 10, where Albert Lhomme was polishing his -nails, pending the arrival of customers. People currently spoke of -"the Lhomme dynasty," since Madame Aurélie, first-hand in the mantle -department, after helping her husband to secure the post of chief -cashier, had further managed to get a pay desk for her son, a tall, -pale, vicious young man who had been unable to remain in any situation, -and had caused her an immense deal of anxiety. On reaching his desk, -Mouret, who never cared to render himself unpopular by performing -police duty, and from policy and taste preferred to play the part of a -benign Providence, retired into the back ground, after gently nudging -Bourdoncle with his elbow. It was Bourdoncle, the infallible and -impeccable, whom he generally charged with the duty of reprimanding.</p> - -<p>"Monsieur Albert," said Bourdoncle, severely, "you have again taken an -address wrong; the parcel has come back. It is unbearable!"</p> - -<p>The cashier, thinking it advisable to defend himself, called as a -witness the assistant who had tied up the packet. This assistant, named -Joseph, also belonged to the Lhomme dynasty, for he was Albert's foster -brother, and likewise owed his place to Madame Aurélie's influence. -Albert sought to make him say that the mistake had been made by the -customer herself, but all Joseph could do was to stutter and twist the -shaggy beard that ornamented his scarred face, struggling the while -between his conscience and his gratitude to his protectors.</p> - -<p>"Let Joseph alone," Bourdoncle exclaimed at last, "and don't say any -more. It's a lucky thing for you that we are mindful of your mother's -good services!"</p> - -<p>However, at this moment Lhomme senior came running up. From his office -near the door he could see his son's pay-desk, which was in the -glove department, and doubtless the colloquy had alarmed him. Quite -white-haired already, deadened by his sedentary life, he had a flabby, -colourless face, blanched and worn, as it were, by the reflection of -the money he was continually handling. The circumstance that he had -lost an arm did not at all incommode him in this work, and indeed -people would go to his office out of curiosity to see him verify -the receipts, so rapidly did the notes and coins slip through his -left hand, the only one remaining to him. The son of a tax-collector -at Chablis, he had come to Paris as clerk to a merchant of the -Port-aux-Vins. Then, whilst lodging in the Rue Cuvier, he had married -the daughter of his doorkeeper, a petty Alsatian tailor, and from that -day onward he had bowed submissively before his wife, whose commercial -ability filled him with respect. She now earned more than twelve -thousand francs a year in the mantle department, whilst he only drew -a fixed salary of five thousand francs. And the deference he felt for -this wife who brought such large sums into the household was extended -to their son, whom he also owed to her.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter?" he murmured; "is Albert in fault?"</p> - -<p>Then, according to his custom, Mouret reappeared on the scene, to play -the part of an indulgent prince. When Bourdoncle had made himself -feared, he looked after his own popularity.</p> - -<p>"Oh! nothing of consequence!" he answered. "My dear Lhomme, your son -Albert is a careless fellow, who should take an example from you." -Then, changing the subject, showing himself more amiable than ever, he -continued: "And by the way, how about that concert the other day—did -you get a good seat?"</p> - -<p>A blush spread over the white cheeks of the old cashier. Music was his -only vice, a secret vice which he indulged in solitarily, frequenting -theatres, concerts and recitals. Moreover, despite the loss of his arm, -he played on the French horn, thanks to an ingenious system of claws; -and as Madame Lhomme detested noise, before playing his instrument of -an evening he would wrap it in cloth, and then draw from it all sorts -of weird muffled sounds which delighted him to the point of ecstasy. -In the forced irregularity of their domestic life he had made himself -an oasis of his passion for music—that, his cash receipts and his -admiration for his wife, summed up his whole existence.</p> - -<p>"A very good seat," he replied with sparkling eyes. "You are really too -kind, sir."</p> - -<p>Mouret, who took a personal pleasure in satisfying other people's -passions, sometimes gave Lhomme the tickets forced upon him by lady -patronesses and he put the finishing touch to the old man's delight -by remarking: "Ah, Beethoven! ah, Mozart! What music!" Then, without -waiting for a reply, he went off, rejoining Bourdoncle, who had already -started on his tour of inspection through the departments.</p> - -<p>In the central hall—an inner courtyard with a glass roof—was the -silk department. At first Mouret and his companion turned into the -Rue-Saint-Augustin gallery occupied by the linen department, from one -end to the other. Nothing unusual striking them, they passed on slowly -through the crowd of respectful assistants. Next they turned into the -cotton and hosiery departments, where the same good order reigned. But -in the department devoted to woollens, occupying the gallery which -ran towards the Rue de la Michodière, Bourdoncle resumed the part of -executioner, on observing a young man seated on the counter, looking -quite knocked up by a sleepless night; and this young man, a certain -Liénard, son of a rich Angers draper, bowed his head beneath the -reprimand, for in the idle, careless life of pleasure which he led his -one great fear was that he might be recalled from Paris by his father. -And now reprimands began to shower down on all sides like hail, and -quite a storm burst in the gallery of the Rue de la Michodière. In the -drapery department a salesman, a fresh hand, who slept in the house, -had come in after eleven o'clock and in the haberdashery department, -the second counterman had allowed himself to be caught smoking a -cigarette downstairs. But the tempest attained its greatest violence -in the glove department, where it fell upon one of the few Parisians -in the house, handsome Mignot, as he was called, the illegitimate son -of a music-mistress. His crime was that of causing a scandal in the -dining-room by complaining of the food. As there were three tables, -one at half-past nine, one at half-past ten, and another at half-past -eleven, he wished to explain that, belonging as he did to the third -table, he always had the leavings, the worst of everything for his -share.</p> - -<p>"What! the food not good?" asked Mouret, with a naive air, opening his -mouth at last.</p> - -<p>He only allowed the chief cook, a terrible Auvergnat, a franc and a -half a head per day, out of which small sum this man still contrived -to make a good profit; and indeed the food was really execrable. -But Bourdoncle shrugged his shoulders: a cook who had four hundred -luncheons and four hundred dinners to serve, even in three series, had -no time to waste on the refinements of his art.</p> - -<p>"Never mind," said the governor, good-naturedly, "I wish all our -employees to have good and abundant food. I'll speak to the cook." And -thus Mignot's complaint was shelved.</p> - -<p>Then returning to their point of departure, standing near the door, -amidst the umbrellas and neckties, Mouret and Bourdoncle received the -report of one of the four inspectors, who were charged with the police -service of the establishment. The inspector in question, old Jouve, a -retired captain, decorated for his bravery at Constantine and still a -fine-looking man with his big sensual nose and majestic baldness, drew -their attention to a salesman, who, in reply to a simple remonstrance -on his part, had called him "an old humbug," and the salesman was -immediately discharged.</p> - -<p>Meantime, the shop was still without customers, that is, except a few -housewives of the neighbourhood who were passing through the almost -deserted galleries. At the door the time-keeper had just closed his -book, and was making out a separate list of the late arrivals. The -salesmen on their side were taking possession of their departments, -which had been swept and brushed by the assistants before their -arrival. Each young man put away his hat and over-coat as he arrived, -stifling a yawn, still half asleep as he did so. Some exchanged a few -words, gazed about the shop and sought to pull themselves together for -another day's work; while others leisurely removed the green baize -with which they had covered the goods over night, after folding them -up. Then the piles of stuffs appeared symmetrically arranged, and the -whole shop looked clean and orderly, brilliant in the gay morning light -pending the rush of business which would once more obstruct it, and, as -it were, reduce its dimensions by the unpacking and display of linen, -cloth, silk, and lace.</p> - -<p>In the bright light of the central hall, two young men were talking in -a low voice at the silk counter. One of them, short but well set and -good looking, with a pinky skin, was endeavouring to blend the colours -of some silks for an indoor show. His name was Hutin, his father kept -a café at Yvetot, and after eighteen months' service he had managed to -become one of the principal salesmen, thanks to a natural flexibility -of character and a continual flow of caressing flattery, under which -were concealed furious appetites which prompted him to grasp at -everything and devour everybody just for the pleasure of the thing.</p> - -<p>"Well, Favier, I should have struck him if I had been in your place, -honour bright!" said he to his companion, a tall bilious fellow with a -dry yellow skin, who had been born at Besançon of a family of weavers, -and concealed under a cold graceless exterior a disquieting force of -will.</p> - -<p>"It does no good to strike people," he murmured, phlegmatically; -"better wait."</p> - -<p>They were both speaking of Robineau, the "second" in the department, -who was looking after the shopmen during the manager's absence in -the basement. Hutin was secretly undermining Robineau, whose place -he coveted. To wound him and induce him to leave, he had already -introduced Bouthemont to fill the post of manager which had been -previously promised to Robineau. However, the latter stood firm, -and it was now an hourly battle. Hutin dreamed of setting the whole -department against him, of hounding him out by dint of ill-will and -vexation. Still he went to work craftily, ever preserving his amiable -air. And it was especially Favier whom he strove to excite against -the "second"—Favier, who stood next to himself as salesman, and who -appeared willing to be led, though he had certain brusque fits of -reserve by which one could divine that he was bent on some private -campaign of his own.</p> - -<p>"Hush! seventeen!" he all at once hastily remarked to his colleague, -intending by this peculiar exclamation to warn him of the approach of -Mouret and Bourdoncle. These two, still continuing their inspection, -were now traversing the hall and stopped to ask Robineau for an -explanation respecting a stock of velvets, the boxes of which were -encumbering a table. And as Robineau replied that there wasn't enough -room to store things away, Mouret exclaimed with a smile:</p> - -<p>"Ah! I told you so, Bourdoncle, the place is already too small. We -shall soon have to knock down the walls as far as the Rue de Choiseul. -You'll see what a crush there'll be next Monday."</p> - -<p>Then, respecting the coming sale, for which they were preparing at -every counter, he asked further questions of Robineau and gave him -various orders. For some minutes however, whilst still talking, he had -been watching Hutin, who was slowly arranging his silks—placing blue, -grey, and yellow side by side and then stepping back to judge of the -harmony of the tints. And all at once Mouret interfered: "But why are -you endeavouring to please the eye?" he asked. "Don't be afraid; blind -the customers! This is the style. Look! red, green, yellow."</p> - -<p>While speaking he had taken up some of the pieces of silk, throwing -them together, crumpling them and producing an extremely violent effect -of colour. Every one allowed the governor to be the best "dresser" in -Paris albeit one of a revolutionary stamp, an initiator of the brutal -and the colossal in the science of display. His fancy was a tumbling -of stuffs, heaped pell-mell as if they had fallen by chance from the -bursting boxes, and glowing with the most ardent contrasting colours, -which heightened each other's intensity. The customers, said he, ought -to feel their eyes aching by the time they left the shop. Hutin, who on -the contrary belonged to the classic school whose guiding principles -were symmetry and a melodious blending of shades, watched him lighting -this conflagration of silk on the table, without venturing to say a -word; but on his lips appeared the pout of an artist whose convictions -were sorely hurt by such a debauch of colour.</p> - -<p>"There!" exclaimed Mouret, when he had finished.</p> - -<p>"Leave it as it is; you'll see if it doesn't fetch the women on Monday."</p> - -<p>Just then, as he rejoined Bourdoncle and Robineau, there arrived a -woman, who stopped short, breathless at sight of this show. It was -Denise, who, after waiting for nearly an hour in the street, a prey to -a violent attack of timidity, had at last decided to enter. But she -was so beside herself with bashfulness that she mistook the clearest -directions; and the shopmen, of whom in stammering accents she asked -for Madame Aurélie, in vain directed her to the staircase conducting -to the first floor; she thanked them, but turned to the left if they -told her to turn to the right; so that for the last ten minutes she -had been wandering about the ground-floor, going from department to -department, amidst the ill-natured curiosity and boorish indifference -of the salesmen. She longed to run away, but was at the same time -retained by a wish to stop and admire. She felt herself lost, so little -in this monstrous place, this machine which was still at rest, and -trembled with fear lest she should be caught in the movement with which -the walls already began to quiver. And in her mind the thought of The -Old Elbeuf, so black and narrow, increased the immensity of this vast -establishment, which seemed bathed in a golden light and similar to -a city with its monuments, squares, and streets, in which it seemed -impossible she should ever find her way.</p> - -<p>However, she had previously not dared to venture into the silk hall -whose high glass roof, luxurious counters, and cathedral-like aspect -frightened her. Then when she did venture in, to escape the shopmen of -the linen department, who were grinning at her, she stumbled right on -Mouret's display; and, despite her bewilderment, the woman was aroused -within her, her cheeks suddenly flushed, and she forgot everything in -looking at the glow of this conflagration of silk.</p> - -<p>"Hullo!" said Hutin in Favier's ear; "there's the drab we saw on the -Place Gaillon."</p> - -<p>Mouret, whilst affecting to listen to Bourdoncle and Robineau, was -at heart flattered by the startled look of this poor girl, just as a -marchioness might be by the brutal admiration of a passing drayman. But -Denise had raised her eyes, and her confusion increased at the sight -of this young man, whom she took for the manager of a department. She -thought he was looking at her severely. Then not knowing how to get -away, quite lost, she once more applied to the nearest shopman, who -happened to be Favier.</p> - -<p>"Madame Aurélie, if you please?"</p> - -<p>However Favier, who was disagreeable, contented himself with replying -sharply: "On the first floor."</p> - -<p>Then, Denise, longing to escape the looks of all these men, thanked -him, and was again turning her back to the stairs she ought to have -ascended when Hutin, yielding naturally to his instinctive gallantry, -stopped her with his most amiable salesman's smile albeit he had just -spoken of her as a drab.</p> - -<p>"No—this way, mademoiselle, if you please," said he.</p> - -<p>And he even went with her a little way, as far indeed as the foot of -the staircase on the left-hand side of the hall. There he bowed, and -smiled at her, as he smiled at all women.</p> - -<p>"When you get upstairs turn to the left," he added. "The mantle -department will then be in front of you."</p> - -<p>This caressing politeness affected Denise deeply. It was like a -brotherly hand extended to her; she raised her eyes and looked at -Hutin, and everything in him touched her—his handsome face, his -smiling look which dissolved her fears, and his voice which seemed to -her of a consoling softness. Her heart swelled with gratitude, and she -gave him her friendship in the few disjointed words which her emotion -allowed her to utter.</p> - -<p>"Really, sir, you are too kind. Pray don't trouble to come any further. -Thank you very much."</p> - -<p>Hutin was already rejoining Favier, to whom he coarsely whispered: -"What a bag of bones—eh?"</p> - -<p>Upstairs the young girl suddenly found herself in the midst of the -mantle department. It was a vast room, with high carved oak cupboards -all round it and clear glass windows overlooking the Rue de la -Michodière. Five or six women in silk dresses, looking very coquettish -with their frizzy chignons and crinolines drawn back, were moving -about and talking. One of them, tall and thin, with a long head, and -a run-away-horse appearance, was leaning against a cupboard, as if -already knocked up with fatigue.</p> - -<p>"Madame Aurélie?" inquired Denise.</p> - -<p>The saleswoman did not reply but looked at her, with an air of disdain -for her shabby dress; then turning to one of her companions, a short -girl with a sickly white skin and an innocent and disgusted expression -of countenance, she asked: "Mademoiselle Vadon, do you know where -Madame Aurélie is?"</p> - -<p>The girl, who was arranging some mantles according to their sizes, -did not even take the trouble to raise her head. "No, Mademoiselle -Prunaire, I don't know at all," she replied in a mincing tone.</p> - -<p>Silence fell. Denise stood still, and no one took any further notice -of her. However, after waiting a moment, she ventured to put another -question: "Do you think Madame Aurélie will be back soon?"</p> - -<p>Thereupon, the second-hand, a thin, ugly woman, whom she had not -noticed before, a widow with a projecting jaw-bone and coarse hair, -cried out from a cupboard, board, where she was checking some tickets: -"You'd better wait if you want to speak to Madame Aurélie herself." -And, addressing another saleswoman, she added: "Isn't she downstairs?"</p> - -<p>"No, Madame Frédéric, I don't think so," was the reply. "She said -nothing before going, so she can't be far off."</p> - -<p>Denise, thus meagrely informed, remained standing. There were several -chairs for the customers; but as she had not been asked to sit down, -she did not dare to take one although her perturbation well nigh -deprived her legs of strength. All these young ladies had evidently -guessed that she was an applicant for the vacancy, and were taking -stock of her, ill-naturedly pulling her to pieces with the secret -hostility of people at table who do not like to close up to make room -for hungry outsiders. Then Denise's confusion increasing, she slowly -crossed the room and looked out of the window into the street, for the -purpose of keeping countenance. Over the way, The Old Elbeuf, with -its rusty front and lifeless windows, appeared to her so ugly and so -wretched, thus viewed from amidst the luxury and life of her present -standpoint, that a sort of remorse filled her already swollen heart -with grief.</p> - -<p>"I say," whispered tall Mdlle. Prunaire to little Mdlle. Vadon, "have -you seen her boots?"</p> - -<p>"And her dress!" murmured the other.</p> - -<p>With her eyes still turned towards the street, Denise divined that -she was being devoured. But she was not angry; she did not think -them handsome, neither the tall one with her carroty chignon falling -over her horse-like neck, nor the little one with her curdled-milk -complexion, which gave her flat and, as it were, boneless face a flabby -appearance. Clara Prunaire, daughter of a clogmaker of the woods of -Vivet had begun to misconduct herself at the time when she was employed -as needlewoman at the Château de Mareuil. Later on she had come to -Paris from a shop at Langres, and was avenging herself in the capital -for all the kicks with which her father had regaled her when at home. -On the other hand Marguerite Vadon, born at Grenoble, where her parents -kept a linen shop, had been obliged to come to Paris, where she had -entered The Ladies' Paradise, in order to conceal a misfortune due to -her frailty. Since then, however, she had ever been a well-conducted -girl, and intended to return to Grenoble to take charge of her parents' -shop, and marry a cousin who was waiting for her.</p> - -<p>"Ah! well," resumed Clara, in a low voice, "that girl won't be of much -account here even if she does get in."</p> - -<p>But they all at once stopped talking, for a woman of about forty-five -was coming in. It was Madame Aurélie, very stout and tightly laced in -her black silk dress, the body of which, strained over her massive -shoulders and full bust, shone like a piece of armour. Under dark folds -of hair, she had big fixed eyes, a severe mouth, and broad and rather -drooping cheeks; and in the majesty of her position as manageress her -face seemed to swell with pride like the puffy countenance of a Cæsar.</p> - -<p>"Mademoiselle Vadon," said she, in an irritated voice, "you didn't -return the pattern of that mantle to the workroom yesterday, it seems?"</p> - -<p>"There was an alteration to be made, madame," replied the saleswoman, -"so Madame Frédéric kept it."</p> - -<p>The second-hand thereupon took the pattern out of a cupboard, and the -explanation continued. Every one gave way to Madame Aurélie, when she -thought it expedient to assert her authority. Very vain, even to the -point of objecting to be called by her husband's name, Lhomme, which -annoyed her, and of denying the humble position of her father to whom -she always referred as a regularly established tailor, she only proved -gracious towards those young ladies who showed themselves flexible and -caressing and bowed down in admiration before her. Formerly, whilst -trying to establish herself in a shop of her own, her temper had been -soured by continual bad luck; the feeling that she was born to fortune -and encountered nothing but a series of catastrophes had exasperated -her; and now, even after her success at The Ladies' Paradise, where -she earned twelve thousand francs a year, it seemed as if she still -nourished a secret spite against every one. She was in particular very -hard with beginners, even as life had shown itself hard for her at -first.</p> - -<p>"That will do!" said she, sharply; "You are not more reasonable than -the others, Madame Frédéric. Let the alteration be made immediately."</p> - -<p>During this explanation, Denise had ceased looking into the street. -She had no doubt this was Madame Aurélie; but, frightened by her sharp -voice, she remained standing, still waiting. The two saleswomen, -delighted to have set their two superiors at variance, had returned to -their work with an air of profound indifference. A few minutes elapsed, -nobody being charitable enough to extricate the young girl from her -uncomfortable position. At last, Madame Aurélie herself perceived her, -and astonished to see her standing there motionless inquired what she -wanted.</p> - -<p>"Madame Aurélie, please."</p> - -<p>"I am Madame Aurélie."</p> - -<p>Denise's mouth was dry and parched, her hands were cold; she felt -some such fear as when she was a child and trembled at the thought of -being whipped. At last she stammered out her request, but was obliged -to repeat it to make herself understood. Madame Aurélie gazed upon -her with her large fixed eyes, not a line of her imperial countenance -deigning to relax.</p> - -<p>"How old are you?" she eventually inquired.</p> - -<p>"Twenty, madame."</p> - -<p>"What, twenty years old? you don't look sixteen!"</p> - -<p>The saleswomen again raised their heads. Denise hastened to add: "Oh, -I'm very strong!"</p> - -<p>Madame Aurélie shrugged her broad shoulders and then coldly remarked: -"Well! I don't mind entering your name. We enter the names of all who -apply. Mademoiselle Prunaire, give me the book."</p> - -<p>But the book could not be found; Jouve, the inspector, had probably got -it. And just as tall Clara was about to fetch it, Mouret arrived, still -followed by Bourdoncle. They had made the tour of the other departments -on the first floor—they had passed through the lace, the shawls, the -furs, the furniture and the under-linen, and were now winding up with -the mantles. Madame Aurélie left Denise for a moment to speak to them -about an order for some cloaks which she thought of giving to one of -the large Paris houses. As a rule, she bought direct, and on her own -responsibility; but, for important purchases, she preferred to consult -the chiefs of the house. Bourdoncle then told her of her son Albert's -latest act of carelessness, which seemed to fill her with despair. -That boy would kill her; his father, although not a man of talent, was -at least well-conducted, careful, and honest. All this dynasty of the -Lhommes, of which she was the acknowledged head, very often caused her -a great deal of trouble. However, Mouret, surprised to come upon Denise -again, bent down to ask Madame Aurélie what that young person was doing -there; and, when the first-hand replied that she was applying for a -saleswoman's situation, Bourdoncle, with his disdain for women, seemed -suffocated by such pretension.</p> - -<p>"You don't mean it," he murmured; "it must be a joke, she's too ugly!"</p> - -<p>"The fact is, there's nothing handsome about her," replied Mouret, not -daring to defend her, although he was still moved by the rapture she -had displayed downstairs before his arrangement of the silks.</p> - -<p>However, the book having been brought, Madame Aurélie returned to -Denise, who had certainly not made a favourable impression. She looked -very clean in her thin black woollen dress; still the question of -shabbiness was of no importance, as the house furnished a uniform, -the regulation silk dress; but she appeared weak and puny, and had a -melancholy face. Without insisting on handsome girls, the managers -of the house liked their assistants to be of agreeable appearance. -And beneath the gaze of all the men and women who were studying her, -estimating her like farmers would a horse at a fair, Denise lost what -little countenance had still remained to her.</p> - -<p>"Your name?" asked Madame Aurélie, standing at the end of a counter, -pen in hand, ready to write.</p> - -<p>"Denise Baudu, madame."</p> - -<p>"Your age?"</p> - -<p>"Twenty years and four months." And risking a glance at Mouret, at this -supposed manager, whom she met everywhere and whose presence troubled -her so much, she repeated: "I don't look like it, but I am really very -strong."</p> - -<p>They smiled. Bourdoncle showed evident signs of impatience; her remark -fell, moreover, amidst a most discouraging silence.</p> - -<p>"What establishment have you been at, in Paris?" resumed Madame Aurélie.</p> - -<p>"I've just arrived from Valognes, madame."</p> - -<p>This was a fresh disaster. As a rule, The Ladies' Paradise only engaged -as saleswomen such girls as had had a year's experience in one of the -small houses in Paris. Denise thought all was lost; and, had it not -been for the children, had she not been obliged to work for them, she -would have brought this futile interrogatory to an end by leaving the -place.</p> - -<p>"Where were you at Valognes?" asked Madame Aurélie.</p> - -<p>"At Cornaille's."</p> - -<p>"I know him—good house," remarked Mouret.</p> - -<p>It was very seldom that he interfered in the engagement of the -employees, the manager of each department being responsible for his -or her staff. But with his fine appreciation of women, he divined in -this girl a hidden charm, a wealth of grace and tenderness of which she -herself was ignorant. The good reputation of the establishment in which -the candidate had started was of great importance, often deciding the -question in his or her favour. Thus even Madame Aurélie continued in a -kinder tone: "And why did you leave Cornaille's?"</p> - -<p>"For family reasons," replied Denise, turning scarlet. "We have lost -our parents, I have been obliged to follow my brothers. Here is a -certificate."</p> - -<p>It was excellent. Her hopes were reviving, when another question -troubled her.</p> - -<p>"Have you any other references in Paris? Where do you live?"</p> - -<p>"At my uncle's," she murmured, hesitating to name him for she feared -that they would never engage the niece of a competitor. "At my uncle -Baudu's, opposite."</p> - -<p>At this, Mouret interfered a second time. "What! are you Baudu's -niece?" said he, "is it Baudu who sent you here?"</p> - -<p>"Oh! no, sir!" answered Denise; and she could not help laughing as she -spoke for the idea appeared to her so singular. That laugh was like a -transfiguration; she became quite rosy, and the smile playing round her -rather large mouth lighted up her whole face. Her grey eyes sparkled -with a soft flame, her cheeks filled with delicious dimples, and even -her light hair seemed to partake of the frank and courageous gaiety -that pervaded her whole being.</p> - -<p>"Why, she's really pretty," whispered Mouret to Bourdoncle.</p> - -<p>The latter with a gesture of boredom refused to admit it. Clara on her -side bit her lips, and Marguerite turned away; Madame Aurélie alone -seemed won over, and encouraged Mouret with a nod when he resumed: -"Your uncle was wrong not to bring you here; his recommendation -sufficed. It is said he has a grudge against us. We are people of -more liberal minds, and if he can't find employment for his niece in -his house, why we will show him that she has only had to knock at our -door to be received. Just tell him I still like him very much, and -that if he has cause for complaint he must blame, not me, but the new -circumstances of commerce. Tell him, too, that he will ruin himself if -he insists on keeping to his ridiculous old-fashioned ways."</p> - -<p>Denise turned quite white again. It was Mouret; no one had mentioned -his name, but he revealed himself, and she guessed who he was, and -understood why the sight of him had caused her such emotion in the -street, in the silk department, and again here. This emotion, which -she could not analyze, pressed more and more upon her heart like an -unbearable weight. All the stories related by her uncle came back to -her, increasing Mouret's importance in her eyes, surrounding him with -a sort of halo in his capacity as the master of the terrible machine -between whose wheels she had felt herself all the morning. And, behind -his handsome face, with its well-trimmed beard, and eyes the colour of -old gold, she beheld the dead woman, that Madame Hédouin, whose blood -had helped to cement the stones of the house. The shiver she had felt -the previous night again came upon her; and she thought she was merely -afraid of him.</p> - -<p>However, Madame Aurélie had closed the book. She only wanted one -saleswoman, and she already had ten applications. True, she was too -anxious to please the governor to hesitate for a moment, still the -application would follow its course, inspector Jouve would go and make -inquiries, send in his report, and then she would come to a decision.</p> - -<p>"Very good, mademoiselle," said she majestically, as though to preserve -her authority; "we will write to you."</p> - -<p>Denise stood there, unable to move for a moment, hardly knowing how to -take her leave in the midst of all these people. At last she thanked -Madame Aurélie, and on passing Mouret and Bourdoncle, she bowed. The -gentlemen, however, were examining the pattern of a mantle with Madame -Frédéric and took no further notice of her. Clara looked in a vexed way -towards Marguerite, as if to predict that the new-comer would not have -a very pleasant time of it in the establishment. Denise doubtless felt -this indifference and rancour behind her, for she went downstairs with -the same troubled feeling that had possessed her on going up, asking -herself whether she ought to be sorry or glad at having come. Could she -count on having the situation? She doubted it, amidst the uneasiness -which had prevented her from clearly understanding what had been said. -Of her various sensations, two remained and gradually effaced all -others—the emotion, almost fear, with which Mouret had inspired her, -and the pleasure she had derived from the amiability of Hutin, the only -pleasure she had enjoyed the whole morning, a souvenir of charming -sweetness which filled her with gratitude. When she crossed the shop on -her way out she looked for the young man, happy in the idea of thanking -him again with her eyes, and she was very sorry not to see him.</p> - -<p>"Well, mademoiselle, have you succeeded?" inquired a timid voice, as -she at last reached the pavement. She turned round and recognised the -tall, awkward young fellow who had spoken to her in the morning. He -also had just come out of The Ladies' Paradise, and seemed even more -frightened than herself, still bewildered by the examination through -which he had just passed.</p> - -<p>"I really don't know as yet, sir," she replied.</p> - -<p>"You're like me, then. What a way they have of looking at you and -talking to you in there—eh? I'm applying for a place in the lace -department. I was at Crevecœur's in the Rue du Mail."</p> - -<p>They were once more standing face to face; and, not knowing how to take -leave, they again began to blush. Then the young man, by way of saying -something, timidly ventured to ask in his good-natured, awkward way: -"What is your name, mademoiselle?"</p> - -<p>"Denise Baudu."</p> - -<p>"My name is Henri Deloche."</p> - -<p>Then they smiled, and, yielding to a fraternal feeling born of the -similarity of their positions, shook each other by the hand.</p> - -<p>"Good luck!" said Deloche.</p> - -<p>"Yes, good luck!" was Denise's reply.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a></h4> - - -<p>Every Saturday, between four and six, Madame Desforges offered a cup -of tea and a few sweet biscuits to those friends who were kind enough -to visit her. She occupied the third floor of a house at the corner -of the Rue de Rivoli and the Rue d'Alger; and the windows of her two -drawing-rooms overlooked the gardens of the Tuileries.</p> - -<p>That Saturday, just as a footman was about to introduce him into the -principal drawing-room, Mouret from the anteroom perceived, through -an open doorway, Madame Desforges crossing the smaller salon. She -stopped on seeing him, and he went in that way, bowing to her with a -ceremonious air. But when the footman had closed the door, he quickly -caught hold of the young woman's hand, and tenderly kissed it.</p> - -<p>"Take care, I have company!" she remarked, in a low voice, glancing -towards the door of the larger room. "I've just come to fetch this fan -to show them," and so saying she playfully tapped him on the face with -the tip of the fan she held. She was dark and inclined to stoutness, -and had big jealous eyes.</p> - -<p>However, he still held her hand and inquired: "Will he come?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly," she replied: "I have his promise."</p> - -<p>They both referred to Baron Hartmann, the director of the Crédit -Immobilier. Madame Desforges, daughter of a Councillor of State, was -the widow of a speculator, who had left her a fortune, underrated -to the point of nothingness by some and greatly over-estimated by -others. During her husband's lifetime she had already known Baron -Hartmann, whose financial tips had proved very useful to them; and -later on, after her husband's death, the connection had been kept up -in a discreet fashion; for she never courted notoriety in any way, -and was received everywhere in the upper-middle class to which she -belonged. Even now too when she had other lovers—the passion of the -banker, a sceptical, crafty man, having subsided into a mere paternal -affection—she displayed such delicate reserve and tact, such adroit -knowledge of the world that appearances were saved, and no one would -have ventured to openly express any doubt of her conduct. Having met -Mouret at a mutual friend's she had at first detested him; but had -been carried away by the violent love which he professed for her, and -since he had begun manœuvring to approach Baron Hartmann through her, -she had gradually got to love him with real and profound tenderness, -adoring him with all the violence of a woman of thirty-five, who only -acknowledged the age of twenty-nine, and distressed at feeling him -younger than herself, which made her tremble lest she should lose him.</p> - -<p>"Does he know about it?" he resumed.</p> - -<p>"No, you'll explain the affair to him yourself," was her reply.</p> - -<p>Meantime she looked at him, reflecting that he couldn't know anything -or he would not employ her in this way with the baron, whom he appeared -to consider simply as an old friend of hers. However, Mouret still held -her hand and called her his good Henriette, at which she felt her heart -melting. Then silently she presented her lips, pressed them to his, and -whispered: "Remember they're waiting for me. Come in behind me."</p> - -<p>A murmur of voices, deadened by the heavy hangings, came from the -principal drawing-room. Madame Desforges went in, leaving the folding -doors open behind her, and handed the fan to one of the four ladies who -were seated in the middle of the room.</p> - -<p>"There it is," said she; "I didn't know exactly where it was. My maid -would never have found it." And turning round she added in her cheerful -way: "Come in, Monsieur Mouret, come through the little drawing-room; -it will be less solemn."</p> - -<p>Mouret bowed to the ladies, whom he knew. The drawing-room, with its -Louis XVI. furniture upholstered in flowered brocatel, its gilded -bronzes and large green plants, had a pleasant, cozy, feminine aspect, -albeit the ceiling was so lofty; and through the two windows could be -seen the chestnut trees of the Tuileries Gardens, whose leaves were -blowing about in the October wind.</p> - -<p>"But this Chantilly isn't at all bad!" exclaimed Madam Bourdelais, who -had taken the fan.</p> - -<p>She was a short fair woman of thirty, with a delicate nose and -sparkling eyes. A former school-fellow of Henriette's, married to -a chief clerk at the Ministry of Finances, and belonging to an old -middle-class family, she managed her household and three children with -rare activity, good grace, and exquisite knowledge of practical life.</p> - -<p>"And you paid twenty-five francs for it?" she resumed, examining each -mesh of the lace. "At Luc, I think you said, to a country-woman? No, it -isn't dear; still you had to get it mounted, hadn't you?"</p> - -<p>"Of course," replied Madame Desforges. "The mounting cost me two -hundred francs."</p> - -<p>Madame Bourdelais began to laugh. And that was what Henriette called a -bargain! Two hundred francs for a plain ivory mount, with a monogram! -And that for a mere piece of Chantilly, over which she had perhaps -saved five francs. Similar fans could be had, ready mounted, for a -hundred and twenty francs, and she named a shop in the Rue Poissonnière -where she had seen them.</p> - -<p>However, the fan was handed round to all the ladies. Madame Guibal -barely glanced at it. She was a tall, slim woman, with red hair, and -a face full of indifference, in which her grey eyes, belying her -unconcerned air, occasionally cast a hungry gleam of selfishness. She -was never seen out with her husband, a barrister well-known at the -Palais de Justice, who led, it was said, a pretty free life between his -briefs and his pleasures.</p> - -<p>"Oh," she murmured, passing the fan to Madame de Boves, "I've scarcely -bought one in my life. One always receives too many of such things."</p> - -<p>"You are fortunate, my dear, in having a gallant husband," answered the -countess in a tone of delicate irony. And bending over to her daughter, -a tall girl of twenty, she added: "Just look at the monogram, Blanche. -What pretty work! It's the monogram that must have increased the price -of the mounting like that."</p> - -<p>Madame de Boves had just turned forty. She was a superb woman, with the -neck and shoulders of a goddess, a large regular face, and big sleepy -eyes. Her husband, an Inspector-General of the State Studs, had married -her for her beauty. She appeared quite moved by the delicacy of the -monogram, seized indeed by a desire which so stirred her as to make her -turn pale; and suddenly turning she continued: "Give us your opinion, -Monsieur Mouret. Is it too dear—two hundred francs for this mount?"</p> - -<p>Mouret had remained standing among the five women, smiling and -affecting an interest in what interested them. He took the fan, -examined it, and was about to give his opinion, when the footman opened -the door and announced:</p> - -<p>"Madame Marty."</p> - -<p>There then entered a thin, ugly woman, disfigured by small-pox but -dressed with elaborate elegance. She seemed of uncertain age, her -five-and-thirty years sometimes appearing equal to thirty, and -sometimes to forty, according to the intensity of the nervous fever -which so often agitated her. A red leather bag, which she had not been -willing to leave in the anteroom, hung from her right hand.</p> - -<p>"Dear madame," said she to Henriette, "you will excuse me bringing -my bag. Just fancy, as I was coming, along I went into The Paradise, -and as I have again been very extravagant, I did not like to leave -it in my cab for fear of being robbed." Then, having perceived -Mouret, she resumed laughing: "Ah! sir, I didn't mean to give you an -advertisement, for I didn't know you were here. But you really have -some extraordinarily fine lace just now."</p> - -<p>This turned the attention from the fan, which the young man laid on -the table. The ladies were now all anxious to see what Madame Marty -had bought. She was known to be very extravagant, totally unable to -resist certain temptations. Strict in her conduct, incapable of any -sexual transgression she proved weak and cowardly before the least -bit of finery. Daughter of a clerk of small means, she was ruining -her husband, the fifth-class professor at the Lycée Bonaparte, who in -order to meet the constantly increasing expenses of the household was -compelled to double his income of six thousand francs by giving private -lessons. However, she did not open her bag, but held it tightly on her -lap, and began to talk about her daughter Valentine, a girl of fourteen -whom she dressed like herself, in all the fashionable novelties to -whose irresistible fascination she succumbed.</p> - -<p>"You know," said she, "they are making girls' dresses trimmed with -narrow lace this winter. So when I saw a very pretty Valenciennes——"</p> - -<p>Thereupon she at last decided to open her bag; and the ladies were -craning their necks, when, amidst the silence, the door-bell was heard.</p> - -<p>"It's my husband," stammered Madame Marty, in great confusion. "He -promised to call for me on leaving the Lycée Bonaparte."</p> - -<p>Forthwith she shut her bag again, and instinctively hid it away under -her chair. All the ladies set up a laugh. This made her blush for her -precipitation, and she took the bag on her knees again, explaining, -however, that men never understood matters and that they need not know -everything.</p> - -<p>"Monsieur de Boves, Monsieur de Vallagnosc," announced the footman.</p> - -<p>It was quite a surprise. Madame de Boves herself did not expect her -husband. The latter, a fine man, wearing a moustache and an imperial -in the correct military fashion so much liked at the Tuileries, kissed -the hand of Madame Desforges, whom he had known as a young girl at her -father's. And then he made way so that his companion, a tall, pale -fellow, of an aristocratic poverty of blood, might in his turn make his -bow to the lady of the house. However, the conversation had hardly been -resumed when two exclamations rang out.</p> - -<p>"What! Is that you, Paul?"</p> - -<p>"Why, Octave!"</p> - -<p>Mouret and Vallagnosc thereupon shook hands, much to Madame Desforges's -surprise. They knew each other, then? Of course, they had grown up side -by side at the college at Plassans, and it was quite by chance they had -not met at her house before. However, jesting together and with their -hands still united they stepped into the little drawing-room, just as -the servant brought in the tea, a china service on a silver waiter, -which he placed near Madame Desforges, on a small round marble table -with a light brass mounting. The ladies drew up and began talking in -louder tones, raising a cross-fire of endless chatter; whilst Monsieur -de Boves, standing behind them leant over every now and then to put -in a word or two with the gallantry of a handsome functionary. The -spacious room, so prettily and cheerfully furnished, became merrier -still with these gossiping voices interspersed with laughter.</p> - -<p>"Ah! Paul, old boy," repeated Mouret.</p> - -<p>He was seated near Vallagnosc, on a sofa. And alone in the little -drawing-room—which looked very coquettish with its hangings of -buttercup silk—out of hearing of the ladies, and not even seeing them, -except through the open doorway, the two old friends commenced grinning -whilst they scrutinized each other and exchanged slaps on the knees. -Their whole youthful career was recalled, the old college at Plassans, -with its two courtyards, its damp class-rooms, and the dining-hall in -which they had consumed so much cod-fish, and the dormitories where the -pillows flew from bed to bed as soon as the monitor began to snore. -Paul, who belonged to an old parliamentary family, noble, poor, and -proud, had proved a good scholar, always at the top of his class and -continually held up as an example by the master, who prophesied a -brilliant future for him; whereas Octave had remained at the bottom, -amongst the dunces, but nevertheless fat and jolly, indulging in all -sorts of pleasures outside. Notwithstanding the difference in their -characters, a fast friendship had rendered them inseparable until they -were examined for their bachelor's degrees, which they took, the one -with honours, the other in just a passable manner after two vexatious -rebuffs. Then they went out into the world, each on his own side, and -had now met again, after the lapse of ten years, already changed and -looking older.</p> - -<p>"Well," asked Mouret, "what's become of you?"</p> - -<p>"Nothing at all," replied the other.</p> - -<p>Vallagnosc indeed, despite the pleasure of this meeting, retained a -tired and disenchanted air; and as his friend, somewhat astonished, -insisted, saying: "But you must do something. What do you do?" he -merely replied: "Nothing."</p> - -<p>Octave began to laugh. Nothing! that wasn't enough. Little by little, -however, he succeeded in learning Paul's story. It was the usual story -of penniless young men, who think themselves obliged by their birth -to choose a liberal profession and bury themselves in a sort of vain -mediocrity, happy even when they escape starvation, notwithstanding -their numerous degrees. For his part he had studied law by a sort of -family tradition; and had then remained a burden on his widowed mother, -who already hardly knew how to dispose of her two daughters. Having at -last got quite ashamed of his position he had left the three women to -vegetate on the remnants of their fortune, and had accepted a petty -appointment at the Ministry of the Interior, where he buried himself -like a mole in his hole.</p> - -<p>"What do you get there?" resumed Mouret.</p> - -<p>"Three thousand francs."</p> - -<p>"But that's pitiful pay! Ah! old man, I'm really sorry for you. What! a -clever fellow like you, who floored all of us! And they only give you -three thousand francs a year, after having already ground you down for -five years! No, it isn't right!" He paused and then thinking of his own -good fortune resumed: "As for me, I made them a humble bow long ago. -You know what I'm doing?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," said Vallagnosc, "I heard you were in business. You've got that -big place on the Place Gaillon, haven't you?"</p> - -<p>"That's it. Counter-jumper, my boy!"</p> - -<p>Mouret raised his head, again slapped his friend on the knee, and -repeated, with the sterling gaiety of a man who did not blush for the -trade by which he was making his fortune:</p> - -<p>"Counter-jumper, and no mistake! You remember, no doubt, I didn't -nibble much at their baits, although at heart I never thought myself -a bigger fool than the others. When I took my degree, just to please -the family, I could have become a barrister or a doctor quite as -easily as any of my school-fellows, but those trades frightened me, -for one sees so many chaps starving at them. So I just threw the ass's -skin away—oh! without the least regret and plunged head-first into -business."</p> - -<p>Vallagnosc smiled with an awkward air, and ultimately muttered: "It's -quite certain that your degree can't be of much use to you in selling -linen."</p> - -<p>"Well!" replied Mouret, joyously, "all I ask is, that it shan't -stand in my way; and you know, when one has been stupid enough to -burden one's self with such a thing, it is difficult to get rid of -it. One goes at a tortoise's pace through life, whilst those who are -bare-footed run like madmen." Then, noticing that his friend seemed -troubled, he took his hand in his, and continued: "Come, come, I don't -want to hurt your feelings, but confess that your degrees have not -satisfied any of your wants. Do you know that my manager in the silk -department will draw more than twelve thousand francs this year. Just -so! a fellow of very clear intelligence, whose knowledge is confined to -spelling, and the first four rules of arithmetic. The ordinary salesmen -in my place make from three to four thousand francs a year, more than -you can earn yourself; and their education did not cost anything like -what yours did, nor were they launched into the world with a written -promise to conquer it. Of course, it is not everything to make money; -only between the poor devils possessed of a smattering of science who -now block up the liberal professions, without earning enough to keep -themselves from starving, and the practical fellows armed for life's -struggle, knowing every branch of their trade, I don't hesitate one -moment, I'm for the latter against the former, I think they thoroughly -understand the age they live in!"</p> - -<p>His voice had become impassioned and Henriette, who was pouring out the -tea, turned her head. When he caught her smile, at the further end of -the large drawing-room, and saw two other ladies listening, he was the -first to make merry over his own big phrases.</p> - -<p>"In short, old man, every counter-jumper who commences, has, at the -present day, a chance of becoming a millionaire."</p> - -<p>Vallagnosc indolently threw himself back on the sofa, half-closing his -eyes and assuming an attitude of mingled fatigue and disdain in which a -dash of affectation was added to his real hereditary exhaustion.</p> - -<p>"Bah!" murmured he, "life isn't worth all that trouble. There is -nothing worth living for." And as Mouret, quite shocked, looked at him -with an air of surprise, he added: "Everything happens and nothing -happens; a man may as well remain with his arms folded."</p> - -<p>He then explained his pessimism—the mediocrities and the abortions of -existence. For a time he had thought of literature, but his intercourse -with certain poets had filled him with unlimited despair. He always -came to the conclusion that every effort was futile, every hour equally -weary and empty, and the world incurably stupid and dull. All enjoyment -was a failure, there was even no pleasure in wrong-doing.</p> - -<p>"Just tell me, do you enjoy life yourself?" asked he at last.</p> - -<p>Mouret was now in a state of astonished indignation, and exclaimed: -"What? Do I enjoy myself? What are you talking about? Why, of course -I do, my boy, and even when things give way, for then I am furious -at hearing them cracking. I am a passionate fellow myself, and don't -take life quietly; that's what interests me in it perhaps." He glanced -towards the drawing-room, and lowered his voice. "Oh! there are some -women who've bothered me awfully, I must confess. Still I have my -revenge, I assure you. But it is not so much the women, for to speak -truly, I don't care a hang for them; the great thing in life is to be -able to will and do—to create, in short. You have an idea; you fight -for it, you hammer it into people's heads, and you see it grow and -triumph. Ah! yes, my boy, I enjoy life!"</p> - -<p>All the joy of action, all the gaiety of existence, resounded in -Mouret's words. He repeated that he went with the times. Really, a man -must be badly constituted, have his brain and limbs out of order, to -refuse to work in an age of such vast undertakings, when the entire -century was pressing forward with giant strides. And he railed at the -despairing ones, the disgusted ones, the pessimists, all those weak, -sickly offsprings of our budding sciences, who assumed the lachrymose -airs of poets, or the affected countenances of sceptics, amidst the -immense activity of the present day. 'Twas a fine part to play, decent -and intelligent, that of yawning before other people's labour!</p> - -<p>"But yawning in other people's faces is my only pleasure," said -Vallagnosc, smiling in his cold way.</p> - -<p>At this Mouret's passion subsided, and he became affectionate again. -"Ah, Paul, you're not changed. Just as paradoxical as ever! However, -we've not met to quarrel. Each man has his own ideas, fortunately. But -you must come and see my machine at work; you'll see it isn't a bad -idea. And now, what news? Your mother and sisters are quite well, I -hope? And weren't you supposed to get married at Plassans, about six -months ago?"</p> - -<p>A sudden movement made by Vallagnosc stopped him, and as his friend had -glanced into the larger drawing-room with an anxious expression, he -also turned round, and noticed that Mademoiselle de Boves was closely -watching them. Blanche, tall and sturdy, resembled her mother; but her -face was already puffed out and her features seemed large—swollen, -as it were, by unhealthy fat. Then, in reply to a discreet question, -Paul intimated that nothing was yet settled; perhaps nothing would -be settled. He had made the young person's acquaintance at Madame -Desforges's, where he had visited a good deal the previous winter, but -whither he now very rarely came, which explained why he had not met -Octave there before. In their turn, the Boves invited him, and he was -especially fond of the father, an ex-man about town who had retired -into an official position. On the other hand there was no money, -Madame de Boves having brought her husband nothing but her Juno-like -beauty as a marriage portion. So the family were living poorly on -their last mortgaged farm, to the little money derived from which were -fortunately added the nine thousand francs a year drawn by the count -as Inspector-General of the State Studs. Certain escapades, however, -continued to empty his purse; and the ladies, mother and daughter, -were kept very short of money, being at times reduced to turning their -dresses themselves.</p> - -<p>"In that case, why marry?" was Mouret's simple question.</p> - -<p>"Well! I can't go on like this for ever," said Vallagnosc, with a weary -movement of the eyelids. "Besides, there are certain expectations, we -are waiting for the death of an aunt."</p> - -<p>However, Mouret still kept his eye on Monsieur de Boves, who, seated -next to Madame Guibal, proved most attentive to her, laughing softly -the while, with an amorous air. Thereupon Octave turned to his friend -with such a significant twinkle of the eye that the latter added:</p> - -<p>"Not that one—at least not yet. The misfortune is, that his duties -call him to the four corners of France, to the breeding dépôts, so that -he has frequent pretexts for absenting himself. Last month, whilst his -wife supposed him to be at Perpignan, he was simply carrying on in -Paris, in an out-of-the-way neighbourhood."</p> - -<p>There ensued a pause. Then the young man, who was also watching the -count's gallantry towards Madame Guibal, resumed in a low tone: -"Really, I think you are right. The more so as the dear lady is not -exactly a saint, if all people say be true. But just look at him! Isn't -he comical, trying to magnetize her with his eyes? The old-fashioned -gallantry, my dear fellow! I adore that man, and if I marry his -daughter, he may safely say it's for his sake!"</p> - -<p>Mouret laughed, greatly amused. He questioned Vallagnosc again, and -when he found that the first idea of a marriage between him and Blanche -had come from Madame Desforges, he thought the story better still. That -dear Henriette took a widow's delight in marrying people, so much so, -that when she had provided for the girls, she sometimes allowed their -fathers to choose friends from her company.</p> - -<p>At that moment she appeared at the door of the little drawing-room, -followed by a gentleman apparently about sixty years old, whose arrival -had not been observed by the two friends, absorbed as they were in -the conversation they were carrying on, to the accompaniment of the -ladies' voices. These voices at times rang out in a shriller key above -the tinkling of the small spoons in the china cups; and from time to -time, during a brief silence you heard a saucer being harshly laid -down on the marble table. A sudden gleam of the setting sun, which -had just emerged from behind a thick cloud, gilded the crests of the -chestnut-trees in the gardens, and streamed through the windows in a -red, golden flame, whose glow lighted up the brocatel and brass-work of -the furniture.</p> - -<p>"This way, my dear baron," said Madame Desforges. "Allow me to -introduce to you Monsieur Octave Mouret, who is longing to express the -admiration he feels for you." And turning round towards Octave, she -added: "Baron Hartmann."</p> - -<p>A smile played on the old man's lips. He was short, and vigorous, with -a large Alsatian head, and a heavy face, which lighted up with a gleam -of intelligence at the slightest curl of his mouth, the slightest -movement of his eyelids. For the last fortnight he had resisted -Henriette's wish that he should consent to this interview; not that he -felt any immoderate jealousy of Mouret, but because this was the third -friend Henriette had introduced to him, and he was afraid of becoming -ridiculous at last. And so on approaching Octave he put on the discreet -smile of one who, albeit willing to behave amiably, is not disposed to -be a dupe.</p> - -<p>"Oh! sir," said Mouret, with his Provençal enthusiasm, "the Crédit -Immobilier's last operation was really astonishing! You cannot think -how happy and proud I am to know you."</p> - -<p>"Too kind, sir, too kind," repeated the baron, still smiling.</p> - -<p>Henriette, robed in a lace dress, which revealed her delicate neck -and wrists, looked at them with her clear eyes without any sign of -embarrassment; standing between the two, raising her head, and going -from one to the other she indeed appeared delighted to see them so -friendly together.</p> - -<p>"Gentlemen," said she at last, "I leave you to your conversation." And, -turning towards Paul, who had risen from the sofa, she resumed: "Will -you accept a cup of tea, Monsieur de Vallagnosc?"</p> - -<p>"With pleasure, madame," he replied, and they both returned to the -larger drawing-room.</p> - -<p>Mouret resumed his seat on the sofa, when Baron Hartmann likewise -had sat down on it; and forthwith the young man broke into renewed -praise of the Crédit Immobilier's operations. From that he went on to -the subject so near his heart, speaking of the new thoroughfare, a -lengthening of the Rue Réaumur, a section of which running from the -Place de la Bourse to the Place de l'Opéra was about to be opened under -the name of the Rue du Dix-Décembre. It had been declared a work of -public utility eighteen months previously; the expropriation jury had -just been appointed; and the whole neighbourhood was excited about -this new street, anxiously awaiting the commencement of the works, -and taking a keen interest in the houses condemned to disappear. For -three years Mouret had been waiting for this work—first, in the -expectation of an increase of his own business; secondly, for the -furtherance of certain schemes of enlargement which he dared not openly -avow, so extensive were his ideas. As the Rue du Dix-Décembre was -to cut through the Rue de Choiseul and the Rue de la Michodière, he -pictured The Ladies' Paradise occupying the whole block of building -which these streets and the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin surrounded; and he -already imagined it with a princely frontage in the new thoroughfare, -dominating everything around like some lord and master of the conquered -city. Hence his strong desire to make Baron Hartmann's acquaintance, -as soon as he had learnt that the Crédit Immobilier had contracted -with the authorities to open and build this Rue du Dix-Décembre, on -condition that it should receive the frontage ground on each side of -the street.</p> - -<p>"Really," he repeated, trying to assume a naive look, "you'll hand over -the street ready made, with sewers, pavements, and gas lamps. And the -frontage ground will suffice to compensate you. Oh! it's curious, very -curious!"</p> - -<p>At last he came to the delicate point. He was aware that the Crédit -Immobilier was secretly buying up the houses forming part of the same -block as The Ladies' Paradise, not only those which were to fall under -the demolishers' pickaxes, but the others as well, those which were -to remain standing; and he suspected the existence of a project for -founding some great establishment, which made him anxious about those -enlargements of his own premises of which he was ever dreaming, seized -with fear at the idea that he might one day come into collision with a -powerful company owning property which they certainly would not sell. -It was precisely this fear which had prompted him to seek an alliance -between himself and the Baron under Henriette's auspices. No doubt he -could have seen the financier at his office, and have there talked -the affair over at his ease; but he felt that he would be stronger in -Henriette's house. To be near her, within the beloved perfume of her -presence, to have her ready to convince them both with a smile, seemed -to him a certain guarantee of success.</p> - -<p>"Haven't you bought the former Hôtel Duvillard, that old building next -to my place?" he suddenly inquired.</p> - -<p>The baron hesitated for a moment, and then denied it. But Mouret looked -him straight in the face and smiled, from that moment beginning to play -the part of an open-hearted young man who was always straightforward in -business.</p> - -<p>"Look here, Monsieur le Baron," said he, "as I have the unexpected -honour of meeting you, I must make a confession. Oh, I don't ask you -for any of your secrets, but I am going to entrust you with mine, for -I'm certain that I couldn't place them in better hands. Besides, I want -your advice. I have long wished to call and see you, but dared not do -so."</p> - -<p>He did make his confession, and related his debut in life, not even -concealing the financial crisis through which he was passing in the -midst of his triumph. Everything was brought up, the successive -enlargements of his premises, the continual reinvestments of all -profits in the business, the sums contributed by his employees, the -existence of the establishment risked at every fresh sale, in which the -entire capital was staked, as it were, on a single throw of the dice. -However, it was not money he wanted, for he had a fanatic's faith in -his customers; his ambition ran higher; and he proposed to the baron -a partnership, in which the Crédit Immobilier should contribute the -colossal palace which he pictured in his dreams, whilst for his part -he would give his genius and the business he had already created. -Everything would be properly valued, nothing appeared to him easier to -realise.</p> - -<p>"What are you going to do with your land and buildings?" he asked -persistently. "You have a plan, no doubt. But I'm quite certain -that your idea is not so good as mine. Think of it. We build fresh -galleries on the vacant ground, we pull the houses down or re-arrange -them and open the most extensive establishment in Paris—a bazaar -which will bring in millions." And then he let this fervent, heartfelt -exclamation escape him: "Ah! if I could only do without you! But you -hold everything now. Besides, I shall never have the necessary capital. -Come, we must come to an understanding. It would be a crime not to do -so."</p> - -<p>"How you go ahead, my dear sir!" Baron Hartmann contented himself with -replying. "What an imagination you have!"</p> - -<p>He shook his head, and continued to smile, resolved not to return -confidence for confidence. In point of fact the idea of the Crédit -Immobilier was to found in the Rue du Dix-Décembre a huge rival to the -Grand Hôtel, a luxurious hostelry whose central position would attract -foreigners. At the same time, however, as the hotel was only to occupy -a certain frontage, the baron might also have entertained Mouret's -idea, and have treated for the rest of the block of houses, which still -represented a vast surface. However, he had already advanced funds to -two of Henriette's friends, and he was getting tired of his lavishness. -Besides, despite his passion for activity, which prompted him to -open his purse to every fellow of intelligence and courage, Mouret's -commercial genius astonished rather than captivated him. Was not the -founding of such a gigantic shop a fanciful, imprudent scheme? Would he -not court certain failure by thus enlarging the drapery trade beyond -all reasonable bounds? In short, he didn't believe in the idea and -refused his support.</p> - -<p>"No doubt the idea is attractive," said he, "but it's a poet's idea. -Where would you find the customers to fill such a cathedral?"</p> - -<p>Mouret looked at him for a moment in silence, as if stupefied by the -refusal which these words implied. Was it possible?—a man of such -foresight, who divined the presence of money at no matter what depth! -And suddenly, with an extremely eloquent gesture, he pointed to the -ladies in the drawing-room and exclaimed: "Customers?—why look there!"</p> - -<p>The sun was paling and the golden-red flame was now but a yellowish -gleam, dying away on the silk of the hangings and the panels of the -furniture. At this approach of twilight, the large room was steeped in -warm cosy pleasantness. While Monsieur de Boves and Paul de Vallagnosc -stood chatting near one of the windows, their eyes wandering far away -into the gardens, the ladies had closed up, forming in the middle of -the room a small circle of skirts whence arose bursts of laughter, -whispered words, ardent questions and replies, all woman's passion for -expenditure and finery. They were talking about dress, and Madame de -Boves was describing a gown she had seen at a ball.</p> - -<p>"First of all, a mauve silk skirt, covered with flounces of old Alençon -lace, twelve inches deep."</p> - -<p>"Oh! is it possible!" exclaimed Madame Marty. "Some women are very -fortunate!"</p> - -<p>Baron Hartmann, who had followed Mouret's gesture, was looking at -the ladies through the doorway which was wide open. And he continued -listening to them with one ear, whilst the young man, inflamed by -his desire to convince him, went yet deeper into the question, -explaining the mechanism of the new style of drapery business. This -branch of commerce was now based on a rapid and continual turning over -of capital, which it was necessary to convert into goods as often -as possible in the same year. For instance, that year his capital, -which only amounted to five hundred thousand francs, had been turned -over four times, and had thus produced business to the amount of two -millions. But this was a mere trifle, which could be increased tenfold, -for later on, in certain departments, he certainly hoped to turn the -capital over fifteen or twenty times in the course of the twelvemonth.</p> - -<p>"You understand, baron, the whole system lies in that. It is very -simple, but it had to be found out. We don't need an enormous working -capital; the sole effort we have to make is to get rid of the stock we -buy as quickly as possible so as to replace it by other stock which -each time will make our capital return interest. In this way we can -content ourselves with a very small profit; as our general expenses -amount to as much as sixteen per cent., and as we seldom make more than -twenty per cent. on our goods, there is only a net profit of four per -cent. at the utmost; only this will finish by representing millions -when we can operate on large quantities of goods incessantly renewed. -You follow me, don't you? nothing can be clearer."</p> - -<p>The baron again shook his head doubtfully. He who had entertained the -boldest schemes and whose daring at the time of the introduction of -gas-lighting was still spoken of, remained in the present instance -uneasy and obstinate.</p> - -<p>"I quite understand," said he; "you sell cheap in order to sell a -quantity, and you sell a quantity in order to sell cheap. But you must -sell, and I repeat my former question: Whom will you sell to? How do -you hope to keep up such a colossal sale?"</p> - -<p>A loud exclamation, coming from the drawing-room, interrupted Mouret -just as he began to reply. It was Madame Guibal declaring that she -would have preferred the flounces of old Alençon simply round the upper -skirt of the dress.</p> - -<p>"But, my dear," said Madame de Boves, "the upper skirt was covered with -it as well. I never saw anything richer."</p> - -<p>"Ah, that's a good idea," resumed Madame Desforges, "I've got several -yards of Alençon somewhere; I must look them up for a trimming."</p> - -<p>Then the voices fell again, sinking into a murmur. Prices were quoted, -a feverish desire to buy and bargain stirred all the ladies; they were -purchasing lace by the mile.</p> - -<p>"Why?" declared Mouret, when he could at last speak, "one can sell what -one likes when one knows how to sell! Therein lies our triumph."</p> - -<p>And then with his southern enthusiasm, he pictured the new business -at work in warm, glowing phrases which brought everything vividly -before the eyes. First came the wonderful power resulting from the -assemblage of goods, all accumulated on one point and sustaining and -facilitating the sale of one another. There was never any stand-still, -the article of the season was always on hand; and from counter to -counter the customer found herself caught and subjugated, at one buying -the material for a gown; at another cotton and trimming, elsewhere a -mantle, in fact everything necessary to complete her costume; while in -addition there were all the unforeseen purchases, chases, a surrender -to a longing for the useless and the pretty. Next he began to sing -the praises of the plain figure system. The great revolution in the -business sprang from this fortunate inspiration. If the old-fashioned -small shops were dying out it was because they could not struggle -against the low prices which the tickets guaranteed. Competition now -went on under the very eyes of the public; a look in the windows -enabled people to contrast the prices of different establishments; and -each shop in turn was lowering its rates, contenting itself with the -smallest possible profit. There could be no deceit, no long prepared -stroke of fortune by selling an article at double its value; there were -simply current operations, a regular percentage levied on all goods, -and success depended solely on the skilful working of the sales which -became the larger from the very circumstance that they were carried on -openly and honestly. Was it not altogether an astonishing development? -And it was already revolutionizing the markets and transforming Paris, -for it was made of woman's flesh and blood.</p> - -<p>"I have the women, I don't care a hang for the rest!" exclaimed Mouret, -with a brutal frankness born of his passion.</p> - -<p>At this cry Baron Hartmann appeared somewhat moved. His smile lost its -touch of irony and he glanced at the young man, gradually won over by -the confidence he displayed and feeling a growing friendship for him.</p> - -<p>"Hush!" he murmured, paternally, "they will hear you."</p> - -<p>But the ladies were now all speaking at once, so excited that they -did not even listen to each other. Madame de Boves was finishing the -description of an evening-dress; a mauve silk tunic, draped and caught -up by bows of lace; the bodice cut very low, with similar bows of lace -on the shoulders.</p> - -<p>"You'll see," said she. "I am having a bodice made like it, with some -satin——"</p> - -<p>"For my part," interrupted Madame Bourdelais, "I was bent on buying -some velvet. Oh! such a bargain!"</p> - -<p>Then suddenly Madame Marty asked: "How much did the silk cost?"</p> - -<p>And off they started again, all together. Madame Guibal, Henriette, and -Blanche were measuring, cutting out, and making up. It was a pillage of -material, a ransacking of all the shops, an appetite for luxury seeking -satisfaction in toilettes envied and dreamed of—with such happiness -at finding themselves in an atmosphere of finery, that they buried -themselves in it, as in warm air necessary to their existence.</p> - -<p>Mouret had glanced towards the larger drawing-room, and in a few -phrases, whispered in the baron's ear, as if he were confiding to him -one of those amorous secrets which men sometimes venture to reveal -among themselves, he finished explaining the mechanism of modern -commerce. And, above all that he had already spoken of, dominating -everything else, appeared the exploitation of woman to which everything -conduced, the capital incessantly renewed, the system of assembling -goods together, the attraction of cheapness and the tranquillizing -effect of the marking in plain figures. It was for woman that all the -establishments were struggling in wild competition; it was woman whom -they were continually catching in the snares of their bargains, after -bewildering her with their displays. They had awakened new desires -in her flesh; they constituted an immense temptation, before which -she fatally succumbed, yielding at first to reasonable purchases -of articles needed in the household, then tempted by her coquetry, -and finally subjugated and devoured. By increasing their business -tenfold and popularizing luxury, they—the drapers—became a terrible -instrument of prodigality, ravaging households, and preparing mad -freaks of fashion which proved ever more and more costly. And if woman -reigned in their shops like a queen, cajoled, flattered and overwhelmed -with attentions, she was one on whom her subjects traffic, and who pays -for each fresh caprice, with a drop of her blood. From beneath the -very gracefulness of his gallantry, Mouret thus allowed the baron to -divine the brutality of a Jew who sells woman by the pound weight. He -raised a temple to her, caused her to be steeped in incense by a legion -of shopmen, prepared the ritual of a new cultus, thinking of nothing -but woman and ever seeking to imagine more powerful fascinations. -But, behind her back, when he had emptied her purse and shattered her -nerves, he remained full of the secret scorn of a man to whom a woman -has been foolish enough to yield.</p> - -<p>"Once have the women on your side," he whispered to the baron, laughing -boldly, "and you could sell the very world."</p> - -<p>Now the baron understood. A few sentences had sufficed, he guessed the -rest, and such a gallant exploitation inflamed him, stirring up the -memories of his past life of pleasure. His eyes twinkled in a knowing -way, and he ended by looking with an air of admiration at the inventor -of this machine for devouring the female sex. It was really clever. -And then he made precisely the same remark as Bourdoncle, a remark -suggested to him by his long experience: "They'll make you suffer for -it, by and by, you know," said he.</p> - -<p>But Mouret shrugged his shoulders with an air of overwhelming disdain. -They all belonged to him, they were his property, and he belonged to -none of them. After deriving his fortune and his pleasures from them he -intended to throw them all over for those who might still find their -account in them. It was the rational, cold disdain of a Southerner and -a speculator.</p> - -<p>"Well! my dear baron," he asked in conclusion, "will you join me? Does -this affair appear possible to you?"</p> - -<p>Albeit half conquered, the baron did not wish to enter into any -engagement yet. A doubt remained beneath the charm which was gradually -operating on him; and he was going to reply in an evasive manner, when -a pressing call from the ladies spared him the trouble. Amidst light -bursts of laughter voices were repeating "Monsieur Mouret! Monsieur -Mouret!"</p> - -<p>And as the latter, annoyed at being interrupted, pretended not to hear, -Madame de Boves, who had risen a moment previously, came as far as the -door of the little drawing-room.</p> - -<p>"You are wanted, Monsieur Mouret. It isn't very gallant of you to bury -yourself in a corner to talk over business."</p> - -<p>Thereupon he decided to join the ladies, with an apparent good grace, a -well-feigned air of rapture which quite astonished the baron. Both of -them rose and passed into the other room.</p> - -<p>"But I am quite at your service, ladies," said Mouret on entering, a -smile on his lips.</p> - -<p>He was greeted with an acclamation of triumph and was obliged to step -forward; the ladies making room for him in their midst. The sun had -just set behind the trees in the gardens, the daylight was departing, -delicate shadows were gradually invading the spacious apartment. It -was the emotional hour of twilight, that quiet voluptuous moment which -reigns in Parisian flats between the dying brightness of the street -and the lighting of the lamps in the kitchen. Monsieur de Boves and -Vallagnosc, still standing before a window, cast shadows upon the -carpet: whilst, motionless in the last gleam of light which came in by -the other window, Monsieur Marty, who had quietly entered, shewed his -poverty-stricken silhouette, his worn-out, well-brushed frock coat, and -his pale face wan from constant teaching and the more haggard as what -he had heard of the ladies' conversation had quite upset him.</p> - -<p>"Is your sale still fixed for next Monday?" Madame Marty was just -asking.</p> - -<p>"Certainly, madame," replied Mouret, in a flute-like voice, an actor's -voice, which he assumed when speaking to women.</p> - -<p>Henriette thereupon intervened. "We are all going, you know. They say -you are preparing wonders."</p> - -<p>"Oh! wonders!" he murmured, with an air of modest fatuity. "I simply -try to deserve your patronage."</p> - -<p>But they pressed him with questions: Madame Bourdelais, Madame Guibal, -even Blanche wanted to know something.</p> - -<p>"Come, give us some particulars," repeated Madame de Boves, -persistently. "You are making us die of curiosity."</p> - -<p>And they were surrounding him, when Henriette observed that he had not -even taken a cup of tea. At this they were plunged into desolation and -four of them set about serving him, stipulating however that he must -answer them afterwards. Henriette poured the tea out, Madame Marty held -the cup, whilst Madame de Boves and Madame Bourdelais contended for the -honour of sweetening it. Then, when he had declined to sit down, and -began to drink his tea slowly, standing up in the midst of them, they -all drew nearer, imprisoning him in the circle of their skirts; and -with their heads raised and their eyes sparkling, they smiled upon him.</p> - -<p>"And what about silk, your Paris Delight which all the papers are -talking of?" resumed Madame Marty, impatiently.</p> - -<p>"Oh!" he replied, "it's an extraordinary article, large-grained faille, -supple and strong. You'll see it, ladies, and you'll see it nowhere -else, for we have bought the exclusive right to it."</p> - -<p>"Really! a fine silk at five francs sixty centimes!" said Madame -Bourdelais, enthusiastic. "One can hardly believe it."</p> - -<p>Ever since the advertisements and puffs had appeared, this silk had -occupied a considerable place in their daily life. They talked of it, -promising themselves some of it, all agog with desire and doubt. And, -beneath the inquisitive chatter with which they overwhelmed the young -man, one could divine their different temperaments as purchasers. -Madame Marty, carried away by her rage for spending money, bought -everything at The Ladies' Paradise without selecting, just as things -chanced to be placed in the windows or on the counters. Madame Guibal -on the other hand walked about the shop for hours without ever buying -anything, happy and satisfied in simply feasting her eyes; Madame de -Boves, short of money and always tortured by some immoderate desire, -nourished a feeling of rancour against the goods she could not carry -away with her; Madame Bourdelais, with the sharp eyes of a careful -and practical housewife, made straight for the bargains, availing -herself of the big establishments with such skill that she saved a -lot of money; and lastly, Henriette, having very elegant tastes, only -purchased certain articles there, such as gloves, hosiery, and her -coarser linen.</p> - -<p>"We have other stuffs of astonishing cheapness and richness," continued -Mouret, in his musical voice. "For instance, I recommend you our Golden -Grain, a taffeta of incomparable brilliancy. In the fancy silks there -are some charming lines, designs specially chosen from among thousands -by our buyer; and in velvets you will find an exceedingly rich -collection of shades. I warn you, however, that cloth will be greatly -worn this year; you'll see our <i>matelassés</i> and our cheviots."</p> - -<p>They had ceased to interrupt him, and drew yet closer, their lips -parted by vague smiles, their faces eagerly out-stretched as if their -whole beings were springing towards the tempter. Their eyes grew dim, -and slight quivers ran through them but he meantime retained his calm, -conquering air, amidst the intoxicating perfumes which their hair -exhaled; and between each sentence he continued to sip a little of -his tea, the aroma of which softened those sharper odours. At sight -of such a power of fascination, so well controlled, strong enough to -play with woman without being overcome by the intoxication which she -diffuses, Baron Hartmann, who had not ceased to look at Mouret, felt -his admiration increasing.</p> - -<p>"So cloth will be worn?" resumed Madame Marty, whose rugged face -sparkled with coquettish passion. "I must have a look at it."</p> - -<p>Madame Bourdelais, who kept a cool look-out, in her turn remarked: -"Your remnant sales take place on Thursdays, don't they? I shall wait. -I have all my little ones to clothe." And turning her delicate blonde -head towards the mistress of the house, she asked: "Sauveur is still -your dressmaker, I suppose?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," replied Henriette, "Sauveur is very dear, but she is the only -person in Paris who knows how to make a dress-body. Besides, Monsieur -Mouret may say what he likes but she has the prettiest designs, designs -that are not seen anywhere else. I can't bear to see the same dresses -as mine on every woman's back."</p> - -<p>At first Mouret slightly smiled. Then he intimated that Madame Sauveur -bought her material at his shop; no doubt she went to the manufacturers -direct for certain designs of which she acquired the sole right of -sale: but for black silks, for instance, she watched for The Paradise -bargains, laying in a considerable stock, which she disposed of at -double and treble the price she gave. "Thus I am quite sure that -her buyers will snap up our Paris Delight. Why should she go to the -manufacturers and pay dearer for this silk than she would at my place? -On my word of honour, we shall sell it at a loss."</p> - -<p>This was a decisive blow for the ladies. The idea of getting goods -below cost price awoke in them all the natural greed of woman, whose -enjoyment in purchasing is doubled when she thinks that she is robbing -the tradesman. He knew the sex to be incapable of resisting anything -cheap.</p> - -<p>"But we sell everything for nothing!" he exclaimed gaily, taking -up Madame Desforges's fan, which lay behind him on the table. "For -instance, here's this fan. How much do you say it cost."</p> - -<p>"The Chantilly cost twenty-five francs, and the mounting two hundred," -said Henriette.</p> - -<p>"Well, the Chantilly isn't dear. However, we have the same at eighteen -francs; as for the mount, my dear madame, it's a shameful robbery. I -should not dare to sell one like it for more than ninety francs."</p> - -<p>"Just what I said!" exclaimed Madame Bourdelais.</p> - -<p>"Ninety francs!" murmured Madame de Boves, "one must be very poor -indeed to go without one at that price."</p> - -<p>She had taken up the fan, and was again examining it with her daughter -Blanche; and, over her large regular face and in her big, sleepy -eyes, spread an expression of suppressed and despairing longing -which she could not satisfy. The fan once more went the round of the -ladies, amidst various remarks and exclamations. Monsieur de Boves -and Vallagnosc, meantime, had left the window, and whilst the former -returned to his place behind Madame Guibal, whose charms he again began -to admire, with his correct and superior air, the young man leant over -Blanche, endeavouring to think of some agreeable remark.</p> - -<p>"Don't you think it rather gloomy, mademoiselle, that white mount and -the black lace?"</p> - -<p>"Oh," she replied, gravely, not a blush colouring her inflated cheeks, -"I saw one made of mother-of-pearl and white feathers. Something truly -virginal!"</p> - -<p>Then Monsieur de Boves, who had doubtless observed the distressful -glances with which his wife was following the fan, at last added his -word to the conversation. "Those flimsy things soon break," said he.</p> - -<p>"Of course they do!" declared Madame Guibal, with a pout, affecting an -air of indifference. "I'm tired of having mine mended."</p> - -<p>For several minutes, Madame Marty, very much excited by the -conversation, had been feverishly turning her red leather bag about on -her lap, for she had not yet been able to show her purchases. She was -burning with a sort of sensual desire to display them; and, suddenly -forgetting her husband's presence, she opened the bag and took out of -it a few yards of narrow lace wound on a piece of cardboard.</p> - -<p>"This is the Valenciennes for my daughter," said she. "It's an inch and -a half wide. Isn't it delicious? One franc ninety centimes the metre."</p> - -<p>The lace passed from hand to hand. The ladies were astonished. Mouret -assured them that he sold these little trimmings at cost price. -However, Madame Marty had closed the bag, as if to conceal certain -things she must not show. But after the success obtained by the -Valenciennes she was unable to resist the temptation of taking out a -handkerchief.</p> - -<p>"There was this handkerchief as well. Real Brussels, my dear. Oh! a -bargain! Twenty francs!"</p> - -<p>And after that the bag became inexhaustible. She blushed with pleasure, -at each fresh article she took out. There was a Spanish blonde-lace -cravat, thirty francs: she hadn't wanted it, but the shopman had sworn -it was the last one in stock, and that in future the price would be -raised. Next came a Chantilly veil: rather dear, fifty francs; if she -didn't wear it she could make it do for her daughter.</p> - -<p>"Really, lace is so pretty!" she repeated with her nervous laugh. "Once -I'm inside I could buy everything."</p> - -<p>"And this?" asked Madame de Boves, taking up and examining some guipure.</p> - -<p>"That," replied she, "is for an insertion. There are twenty-six -yards—a franc the yard. Just fancy!"</p> - -<p>"But," asked Madame Bourdelais, in surprise, "What are you going to do -with it?"</p> - -<p>"I'm sure I don't know. But it was such a funny pattern!"</p> - -<p>At that moment however, she chanced to raise her eyes and perceived her -terrified husband in front of her. He had turned paler than ever, his -whole person expressive of the patient, resigned anguish of a powerless -man, witnessing the reckless expenditure of his dearly earned salary. -Every fresh bit of lace to him meant disaster; bitter days of teaching, -long journeys to pupils through the mud, the whole constant effort -of his life resulting in secret misery, the hell of a necessitous -household. And she, perceiving the increasing wildness of his look, -wanted to catch up the veil, cravat and handkerchief and put them out -of sight, moving her feverish hands about and repeating with forced -laughter: "You'll get me a scolding from my husband. I assure you, my -dear, I've been very reasonable; for there was a large lace flounce at -five hundred francs, oh! a marvel!"</p> - -<p>"Why didn't you buy it?" asked Madame Guibal, calmly. "Monsieur Marty -is the most gallant of men."</p> - -<p>The poor professor was obliged to bow and say that his wife was quite -free to buy what she liked. But at thought of the danger to which that -large flounce had exposed him, an icy shiver sped down his back; and as -Mouret was just at that moment affirming that the new shops increased -the comfort of middle-class households, he glared at him with a -terrible expression, the flash of hatred of a timid man who would like -to throttle the destroyer but dares not.</p> - -<p>But the ladies had still retained possession of the lace. They were -intoxicating themselves with their prolonged contemplation of it. The -several pieces were unrolled and then passed from one to the other, -drawing them all still closer together, linking them, as it were, with -delicate meshes. On their laps there was a continual caress of this -wondrously delicate tissue amidst which their guilty fingers fondly -lingered. They still kept Mouret a close prisoner and overwhelmed him -with fresh questions. As the daylight continued to decline, he was now -and again obliged to bend his head, grazing their hair with his beard, -as he examined a mesh, or indicated a design. Nevertheless in this soft -voluptuousness of twilight, in this warm feminine atmosphere, Mouret -still remained the master whatever the rapture he affected. He seemed -to be a woman himself, they felt penetrated, overcome by the delicate -sense of their secret passions which he possessed, and surrendered -themselves to him quite captivated; whilst he, certain that he had them -at his mercy, appeared like the despotic monarch of finery, enthroned -above them all.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Monsieur Mouret! Monsieur Mouret!" they stammered in low, -rapturous voices, amidst the increasing gloom of the drawing-room.</p> - -<p>The last pale gleams of the heavens were dying away on the brass-work -of the furniture. The laces alone retained a snowy reflection against -the dark dresses of the ladies, who in a confused group around the -young man had a vague appearance of kneeling, worshipping women. A -final glow still shone on one side of the silver teapot, a gleam like -that of a night-light, burning in an alcove balmy with the perfume of -tea. But suddenly the servant entered with two lamps, and the charm was -destroyed. The drawing-room awoke, light and cheerful once more. Madame -Marty replaced her lace in her little bag and Madame de Boves ate -another sponge cake, whilst Henriette who had risen began talking in a -low tone to the baron, near one of the windows.</p> - -<p>"He's a charming fellow," said the baron.</p> - -<p>"Isn't he?" she exclaimed, with the involuntary impulse of a woman in -love.</p> - -<p>He smiled, and looked at her with paternal indulgence. This was -the first time he had seen her so completely conquered; and, too -high-minded to suffer from it, he experienced nothing but compassion at -seeing her in the hands of this handsome fellow, seemingly so tender -and yet so cold-hearted. He thought he ought to warn her, and so in a -joking way he muttered: "Take care, my dear, or he'll eat you all up."</p> - -<p>A flash of jealousy darted from Henriette's fine eyes. Doubtless she -understood that Mouret had simply made use of her to get at the baron; -but she vowed that she would render him mad with passion, he whose -hurried style of love-making was instinct with the facile charm of a -song thrown to the four winds of heaven. "Oh," said she, affecting to -joke in her turn, "the lamb always finishes by eating up the wolf."</p> - -<p>Thereupon the baron, greatly amused, encouraged her with a nod. Could -she be the woman who was to avenge all the others?</p> - -<p>When Mouret, after reminding Vallagnosc that he wanted to show him his -machine at work, came up to take his leave, the baron retained him near -the window opposite the gardens, now steeped in darkness. He was at -last yielding to the young man's power of fascination; confidence had -come to him on seeing him amidst those ladies. Both conversed for a -moment in a low tone, and then the banker exclaimed: "Well, I'll look -into the affair. It's settled if your Monday's sale proves as important -as you expect."</p> - -<p>They shook hands, and Mouret, delighted, took his leave, for he never -enjoyed his dinner unless before sitting down at table he had been to -glance at the day's receipts at The Ladies' Paradise.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a></h4> - - -<p>On the following Monday, the 10th of October, a bright sun of victory -pierced through the grey clouds which had darkened Paris during the -previous week. There had even been a drizzle throughout the previous -night, a sort of watery mist whose moisture had dirtied the streets; -but in the early morning, thanks to the sharp breezes driving the -clouds away, the pavement had become drier; and now the blue sky -displayed a limpid, spring-like gaiety.</p> - -<p>Thus, already at eight o'clock, The Ladies' Paradise blazed forth -beneath the clear sun-rays in all the glory of its great sale of -winter novelties. Flags were flying at the door, pieces of woollens -were flapping about in the fresh morning air, animating the Place -Gaillon with the bustle of a country fair; whilst along both streets -the windows developed symphonious displays whose brilliant tones were -yet heightened by the clearness of the glass. It was like a debauch -of colour, a street pleasure bursting forth, a wealth of purchasable -articles publicly displayed, on which everybody could feast their eyes.</p> - -<p>But at this early hour very few people entered, a few customers pressed -for time, housewives of the neighbourhood, women desirous of avoiding -the afternoon crush. Behind the stuffs which decorated the shop, one -could divine that it was empty, under arms and waiting for customers, -with its waxed floors and its counters overflowing with goods.</p> - -<p>The busy morning crowd barely glanced at the windows, as it passed -without slackening its steps. In the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin and on -the Place Gaillon, where the vehicles were to take their stand, there -were at nine o'clock only two cabs. The inhabitants of the district, -and especially the small traders, stirred up by such a show of -streamers and decorations, alone formed little groups in the doorways -and at the street corners, gazing at the Paradise and venting bitter -remarks. What most filled them with indignation was the sight of one of -the four delivery vans just introduced by Mouret, which was standing -in the Rue de la Michodière, in front of the delivery office. These -vans were green, picked out with yellow and red, their brilliantly -varnished panels gleaming with gold and purple in the sunlight. This -particular one with its brand-new medley of colours, and the name of -the establishment painted on either side, whilst up above appeared an -announcement of the day's sale, finished by going off at the fast trot -of a splendid horse, after being filled with parcels left over from -the previous night; and Baudu, who was standing on the threshold of -The Old Elbeuf, watched it rolling off towards the boulevard, where -it disappeared to spread amid a starry radiance the hated name of The -Ladies' Paradise all over Paris.</p> - -<p>Meantime, a few cabs were arriving and forming in line. Each time a -customer entered, there was a movement amongst the shop messengers, -who dressed in livery consisting of a light green coat and trousers, -and red and yellow striped waistcoat were drawn up under the lofty -doorway. Jouve, the inspector and retired captain, was also there, -in a frock-coat and white tie, wearing his decoration as a mark of -respectability and probity, and receiving the ladies with a gravely -polite air. He bent over them to point out the departments, and then -they vanished into the vestibule, which had been transformed into an -oriental saloon.</p> - -<p>From the very threshold it was a marvel, a surprise, which enchanted -all of them. It was to Mouret that this idea had occurred. Before all -others, he had been the first to purchase at very advantageous rates -in the Levant a collection of old and new carpets, articles then -but seldom seen and only sold at curiosity shops, at high prices; -and he intended to flood the market with them, selling them at but -little more than cost price, and simply utilizing them as a splendid -decoration which would attract the best class of art customers to his -establishment. From the centre of the Place Gaillon you could see this -oriental saloon, composed solely of carpets and door-curtains hung up -under his direction. The ceiling was covered with a quantity of Smyrna -carpets, whose intricate designs stood out boldly on red grounds. -Then from each side there hung Syrian and Karamanian door-curtains, -streaked with green, yellow, and vermilion; Diarbekir hangings of a -commoner type, rough to the touch, like shepherds' cloaks; and carpets -which could also be used as door-curtains—long Ispahan, Teheran, and -Kermancha rugs, broader ones from Schoumaka and Madras, a strange -florescence of peonies and palms, fantastic blooms in a garden of -dreamland. On the floor too were more carpets, a heap of greasy -fleeces: in the centre was an Agra carpet, an extraordinary article -with a white ground and a broad, delicate blue border, through which -ran a violet-coloured pattern of exquisite design. And then, here, -there and everywhere came a display of marvels; Mecca carpets with -velvety reflections, prayer carpets from Daghestan with the symbolic -points, Kurdistan carpets covered with blooming flowers; and finally, -in a corner a pile of cheap goods, Gherdes, Koula, and Kirchur rugs -from fifteen francs a-piece.</p> - -<p>This seeming and sumptuous tent, fit for a caliph, was furnished with -divans and arm-chairs, made of camel sacks, some ornamented with -variegated lozenges, others with primitive roses. Turkey, Arabia, -Persia and the Indies were all there. They had emptied the palaces, -looted the mosques and bazaars. A tawny gold prevailed in the weft of -the old carpets, whose faded tints retained still a sombre warmth, like -that of an extinguished furnace, a beautiful mellow hue suggestive of -the old masters. Visions of the East floated before you at sight of all -the luxury of this barbarous art, amid the strong odour which the old -wool retained of the land of vermin and of the rising sun.</p> - -<p>In the morning at eight o'clock, when Denise, who was to enter on her -duties that very Monday, crossed the oriental saloon, she stopped -short, lost in astonishment, unable to recognise the shop entrance, -and quite overcome by this harem-like decoration planted at the door. -A messenger having shown her to the top of the house, and handed her -over to Madame Cabin, who cleaned and looked after the rooms, this -person installed her in No. 7, where her box had already been placed. -It was a narrow cell, opening on the roof by a skylight, and furnished -with a small bed, a walnut-wood wardrobe, a toilet-table, and two -chairs. Twenty similar rooms ran along the yellow-painted convent-like -corridor; and, of the thirty-five young ladies in the house, the twenty -who had no relations in Paris slept there, whilst the remaining fifteen -lodged outside, a few with borrowed aunts and cousins. Denise at once -took off her shabby woollen dress, worn thin by brushing and mended at -the sleeves, the only gown that she had brought from Valognes; and then -donned the uniform of her department, a black silk dress which had been -altered for her and which she found ready on the bed. This dress was -still too large, too wide across the shoulders; but she was so flurried -by her emotion that she paid no heed to petty questions of coquetry. -She had never worn silk before; and when rigged out in this unwonted -finery she went downstairs again and looked at her shining skirt, she -felt quite ashamed of the noisy rustling of the silk.</p> - -<p>Down below, as she was entering her department, a quarrel burst out and -she heard Clara exclaim in a shrill voice:</p> - -<p>"Madame, I came in before her."</p> - -<p>"It isn't true," replied Marguerite. "She pushed past me at the door, -but I had already one foot in the room."</p> - -<p>The matter in dispute was their inscription on the list of turns, which -regulated the sales. The girls wrote their names on a slate in the -order of their arrival, and whenever one of them had served a customer, -she re-inscribed her name beneath the others. Madame Aurélie finished -by deciding in Marguerite's favour.</p> - -<p>"Always some injustice here!" muttered Clara, furiously.</p> - -<p>However Denise's entry reconciled these young ladies. They looked at -her, then smiled at each other. How could a person truss herself up in -that way! The young girl went and awkwardly wrote her name on the list, -where she found herself last. Meanwhile, Madame Aurélie examined her -with an anxious pout and could not help saying:</p> - -<p>"My dear, two like you could get into your dress; you must have it -taken in. Besides, you don't know how to dress yourself. Come here and -let me arrange you a bit."</p> - -<p>Then she placed her before one of the tall glasses alternating with the -massive doors of the cupboards containing the dresses. The spacious -apartment, surrounded by these mirrors and carved oak wood-work, -its floor covered with red carpet of a large pattern, resembled the -commonplace drawing-room of an hotel, traversed by a continual stream -of travellers. The young ladies dressed in regulation silk, and -promenading their charms about, without ever sitting down on the dozen -chairs reserved for the customers, completed the resemblance. Between -two button-holes of their dress bodies they all wore a long pencil, -with its point in the air; and protruding from their pockets, you could -see the white leaves of a book of debit-notes. Several ventured to -wear jewellery—rings, brooches and chains; but their great coquetry, -the point of display in which, given the forced uniformity of their -dress they all struggled for pre-eminence, was their hair, hair ever -overflowing, its volume augmented by plaits and chignons when their -own did not suffice, and combed, curled, and decked in every possible -fashion.</p> - -<p>"Pull the waist down in front," said Madame Aurélie to Denise. "There, -you now have no hump on your back. And your hair, how can you massacre -it like that? It would be superb, if you only took a little trouble."</p> - -<p>This was, in fact, Denise's only beauty. Of a beautiful flaxen hue, it -fell to her ankles: and when she did it up, it was so troublesome that -she simply rolled it in a knot, keeping it together with the strong -teeth of a bone comb. Clara, greatly annoyed by the sight of this -abundant hair, affected to laugh at it, so strange did it look, twisted -up anyhow with savage grace. She made a sign to a saleswoman in the -under-linen department, a girl with a broad face and agreeable manner. -The two departments, which adjoined one another, were ever at variance, -still the young ladies sometimes joined together in laughing at other -people.</p> - -<p>"Mademoiselle Cugnot, just look at that mane," said Clara, whom -Marguerite was nudging, also feigning to be on the point of bursting -into laughter.</p> - -<p>But Mademoiselle Cugnot was not in the humour for joking. She had -been looking at Denise for a moment and remembered what she had -suffered herself during the first few months after her arrival in the -establishment.</p> - -<p>"Well, what?" said she. "Everybody hasn't got such a mane as that!"</p> - -<p>And thereupon she returned to her place, leaving the two others -crestfallen. Denise, who had heard everything, followed her with -a glance of gratitude, while Madame Aurélie gave her a book of -debit-notes with her name on it, remarking:</p> - -<p>"To-morrow you must get yourself up better; and now, try and pick up -the ways of the house, and wait your turn for selling. To-day's work -will be very hard; we shall be able to judge of your capabilities."</p> - -<p>Despite her prophecies, the department still remained deserted; very -few customers came to buy mantles at this early hour. The young -ladies husbanded their strength, prudently preparing for the exertion -of the afternoon. Denise, intimidated by the thought that they were -watching her, sharpened her pencil, for the sake of something to do; -then, imitating the others, she stuck it in her bosom, between two -buttonholes, and summoned up all her courage, for it was necessary that -she should conquer a position. On the previous evening she had been -told that she was accepted as a probationer, that is to say, without -any fixed salary; she would simply have the commission and allowance on -what she sold. However, she fully hoped to earn twelve hundred francs -a year even in this way, knowing that the good saleswomen earned as -much as two thousand, when they liked to take the trouble. Her expenses -were regulated; a hundred francs a month would enable her to pay Pépé's -board and lodging, assist Jean, who did not earn a sou, and procure -some clothes and linen for herself. Only, in order to attain to this -large amount, she would have to prove industrious and pushing, taking -no notice of the ill-will displayed by those around her but fighting -for her share and even snatching it from her comrades if necessary. -While she was thus working herself up for the struggle, a tall young -man, passing the department, smiled at her; and when she saw that -it was Deloche, who had been engaged in the lace department on the -previous day, she returned his smile, happy at the friendship which -thus presented itself and accepting his recognition as a good omen.</p> - -<p>At half-past nine a bell rang for the first luncheon. Then a fresh peal -announced the second; and still no customers appeared. The second-hand, -Madame Frédéric, who, with the sulky harshness of widowhood, delighted -in prophesying disasters, declared curtly that the day was lost, that -they would not see a soul, that they might close the cupboards and go -away; predictions which clouded the flat face of Marguerite who was -eager to make money, whilst Clara, with her runaway-horse appearance, -already began dreaming of an excursion to the woods of Verrières should -the house really fail. As for Madame Aurélie, she remained silent -and serious, promenading her Cæsarian countenance about the empty -department, like a general who has responsibility whether in victory or -in defeat.</p> - -<p>About eleven o'clock a few ladies appeared; and Denise's turn for -serving had arrived when the approach of a customer was signalled.</p> - -<p>"The fat old girl from the country—you know whom I mean," murmured -Marguerite to Clara.</p> - -<p>It was a woman of forty-five, who occasionally journeyed to Paris -from the depths of some out-of-the-way department where she saved -her money up for months together. Then, hardly out of the train, she -made straight for The Ladies' Paradise, and spent all her savings. -She very rarely ordered anything by letter for she liked to see and -handle the goods, and would profit by her journeys to lay in a stock of -everything, even down to needles, which she said were extremely dear -in her small town. The whole staff knew her, was aware that her name -was Boutarel, and that she lived at Albi, but troubled no further about -her, neither about her position nor her mode of life.</p> - -<p>"How do you do, madame?" graciously asked Madame Aurélie, who had come -forward. "And what can we show you? You shall be attended to at once." -Then, turning round she added: "Now, young ladies!"</p> - -<p>Denise approached; but Clara had sprung forward. As a rule, she was -very careless and idle, not caring about the money she earned in the -shop, as she could get plenty outside. However, the idea of doing the -newcomer out of a good customer spurred her on.</p> - -<p>"I beg your pardon, it's my turn," said Denise, indignantly.</p> - -<p>Madame Aurélie set her aside with a severe look, exclaiming: "There are -no turns. I alone am mistress here. Wait till you know, before serving -our regular customers."</p> - -<p>The young girl retired, and as tears were coming to her eyes, and she -wished to conceal her sensibility, she turned her back and stood up -before the window, pretending to gaze into the street. Were they going -to prevent her selling? Would they all conspire to deprive her of the -important sales, like that? Fear for the future came over her, she -felt herself crushed between so many contending interests. Yielding -to the bitterness of her abandonment, her forehead against the cold -glass, she gazed at The Old Elbeuf opposite, thinking that she ought -to have implored her uncle to keep her. Perhaps he himself regretted -his decision, for he had seemed to her greatly affected the previous -evening. And now she was quite alone in this vast house, where no one -cared for her, where she found herself hurtled, lost. Pépé and Jean, -who had never left her side, were living with strangers; she was parted -from everything, and the big tears which she strove to keep back made -the street dance before her in a sort of fog. All this time, the hum of -voices continued behind her.</p> - -<p>"This one makes me look a fright," Madame Boutarel was saying.</p> - -<p>"You really make a mistake, madame," said Clara; "the shoulders fit -perfectly—but perhaps you would prefer a pelisse to a mantle?"</p> - -<p>Just then Denise started. A hand was laid on her arm. Madame Aurélie -addressed her severely:</p> - -<p>"Well, you're doing nothing now, eh? only looking at the people -passing? Things can't go on like this, you know!"</p> - -<p>"But since I'm not allowed to sell, madame?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, there's other work for you, mademoiselle! Begin at the beginning. -Do the folding-up."</p> - -<p>In order to please the few customers who had called, they had already -been obliged to ransack the cupboards, and on the two long oaken -tables, to the right and left, lay heaps of mantles, pelisses, and -capes, garments of all sizes and materials. Without replying, Denise -began to sort and fold them carefully and arrange them again in the -cupboards. This was the lowest work, generally performed by beginners. -She ceased to protest, however, knowing that they required the -strictest obedience, and prepared to wait until the first-hand should -be good enough to let her sell, as she seemed at first to have the -intention of doing. She was still folding, when Mouret appeared upon -the scene. To her his arrival came as a shock, she blushed without -knowing why, and again seized by a strange fear, thinking that he -was going to speak to her. But he did not even see her; he no longer -remembered the little girl whom a momentary impression had induced him -to support.</p> - -<p>"Madame Aurélie," he called curtly.</p> - -<p>He was rather pale, but his eyes were clear and resolute. In making the -tour of the departments he had found them empty, and the possibility -of defeat had suddenly presented itself before him amidst all his -obstinate faith in fortune. True, it was only eleven o'clock; he knew -by experience that as a rule the crowd never arrived much before the -afternoon. But certain symptoms troubled him. On the inaugural days -of previous sales a general movement had manifested itself even in -the morning; besides, he did not see any of those bareheaded women, -customers living in the neighbourhood, who usually dropped into his -shop as into a neighbour's. Despite his habitual resolution, like all -great captains, he felt at the moment of giving battle a superstitious -weakness growing on him. Things would not succeed, he was lost, and -he could not have explained why; yet he thought he could read his -defeat on the faces of the passing ladies. Just at that moment, Madame -Boutarel, she who always bought something, turned away, explaining, -"No, you have nothing that pleases me. I'll see, I'll decide later on."</p> - -<p>Mouret watched her depart. Then, as Madame Aurélie ran up at his call, -he took her aside, and they exchanged a few rapid words. She waved -her hands despairingly and was evidently admitting that things were -bad. For a moment they remained face to face, overcome by one of those -doubts which generals conceal from their soldiers. But at last, in his -brave way, he exclaimed aloud: "If you want any assistance, take a girl -from the workroom. She'll be a little help to you."</p> - -<p>Then he continued his inspection, in despair. He had avoided Bourdoncle -all the morning, for his assistant's anxious doubts irritated him. -However, on leaving the under-linen department, where business was -still worse than in the mantle gallery, he suddenly came upon him, and -was obliged to listen to the expression of his fears. Still he did not -hesitate to send him to the devil, with the brutality which he did not -spare even his principal employees when things were looking bad.</p> - -<p>"Do keep quiet!" said he, "Everything is going on all right. I shall -end by pitching the tremblers out of doors."</p> - -<p>Then, alone and erect, he took his stand on the landing overlooking the -central hall, whence he commanded a view of almost the entire shop; -around him were the first-floor departments; beneath him those of the -ground-floor. Up above, the emptiness seemed heart-breaking; in the -lace department an old woman was having every box searched and yet -buying nothing; whilst three good-for-nothing minxes in the under-linen -department were slowly choosing some collars at eighteen sous a-piece. -Down below, in the covered galleries, in the rays of light which come -in from the street, he noticed that customers were gradually becoming -more numerous. There was a slow, intermittent procession wending its -way past the counters; in the mercery and the haberdashery departments -some women of the commoner class were pushing about, still there was -hardly a soul among the linens or the woollens. The shop messengers, in -their green swallow-tails with bright brass buttons, were waiting for -customers with dangling hands. Now and again there passed an inspector -with a ceremonious air, very stiff in his white choker. And Mouret was -especially grieved by the mortal silence which reigned in the hall, -where the light fell from a ground-glass roofing through which the -sunrays filtered in a white diffuse hovering dust, whilst down below -the silk department seemed to be asleep, in a quivering, church-like -quietude. A shopman's footstep, a few whispered words, the rustling of -a passing skirt, were the only faint sounds; and these the warm air of -the heating apparatus almost stifled. However, carriages were beginning -to arrive, the sudden pulling up of the horses was heard, followed by -the banging of the doors of the vehicles. Outside, a distant tumult -was commencing to rise, inquisitive folks were jostling in front of -the windows, cabs were taking up their positions on the Place Gaillon, -there were all the appearances of a crowd's approach. Still on seeing -the idle cashiers leaning back on their chairs behind their wickets, -and observing that the parcel-tables with their boxes of string and -reams of blue packing-paper remained unlittered, Mouret, though -indignant with himself for being afraid, thought he could feel his -immense machine ceasing to work and turning cold beneath him.</p> - -<p>"I say, Favier," murmured Hutin, "look at the governor up there. He -doesn't seem to be enjoying himself."</p> - -<p>"Oh! this is a rotten shop!" replied Favier. "Just fancy, I've not sold -a thing yet."</p> - -<p>Both of them, on the look-out for customers, from time to time -whispered such short remarks as these, without looking at each other. -The other salesmen of the department were occupied in piling up pieces -of the Paris Delight under Robineau's orders; whilst Bouthemont, in -full consultation with a thin young woman, seemed to be taking an -important order. Around them, on light and elegant shelves, were heaps -of plain silks, folded in long pieces of creamy paper, and looking -like pamphlets of an unusual size; whilst, encumbering the counters, -were fancy silks, moires, satins and velvets, resembling beds of cut -flowers, quite a harvest of delicate and precious tissues. This was the -most elegant of all the departments, a veritable drawing-room, where -the goods, so light and airy, seemed to be simply so much luxurious -furnishing.</p> - -<p>"I must have a hundred francs by Sunday," said Hutin. "If I don't make -an average of twelve francs a day, I'm lost. I reckoned on this sale."</p> - -<p>"By Jove! a hundred francs; that's rather stiff," retorted Favier. "I -only want fifty or sixty. You must go in for swell jollifications, -then?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, no, my dear fellow. It's a stupid affair; I made a bet and lost. -So I have to stand a dinner for five persons, two fellows and three -girls. Hang me! I'll let the first that passes in for twenty yards of -Paris Delight!"</p> - -<p>They continued talking for a few minutes, relating what they had done -on the previous day, and what they intended to do on the ensuing -Sunday. Favier followed the races while Hutin did a little boating, -and patronized music-hall singers. But they were both possessed by the -same eager desire for money, fighting for it throughout the week, and -spending it all on Sunday. It was their sole thought in the shop, a -thought which urged them into an incessant and pitiless struggle. And -to think that cunning Bouthemont had just managed to get hold of Madame -Sauveur's messenger, the skinny woman with whom he was talking! That -meant good business, three or four dozen pieces, at least, for the -celebrated dressmaker always gave large orders. A moment before too, -Robineau had taken it into his head to trick Favier out of a customer.</p> - -<p>"Oh! as for that fellow, we must settle his hash," said Hutin, who took -advantage of the slightest incidents to stir up the salesmen against -the man whose place he coveted. "Ought the first and second hands to -sell? 'Pon my word! my dear fellow, if ever I become second you'll see -how well I'll act with the others."</p> - -<p>Thereupon, with his plump, amiable little Norman person he began -energetically playing the good-natured man. Favier could not help -casting a side glance at him; however he retained his phlegmatic air -and contented himself with replying:</p> - -<p>"Yes, I know. For my part I should be only too pleased." Then, as a -lady came up, he added in a lower tone: "Look out! Here's one for you."</p> - -<p>It was a lady with a blotchy face, wearing a yellow bonnet, and a red -dress. Hutin immediately divined in her a woman who would buy nothing; -so in all haste he stooped behind the counter, pretending to be doing -up his boot-lace: and, thus concealed, he murmured: "No fear, let some -one else take her. I don't want to lose my turn!"</p> - -<p>However, Robineau was calling him: "Whose turn, gentlemen? Monsieur -Hutin's? Where's Monsieur Hutin?"</p> - -<p>And as that gentleman still gave no reply, it was the next salesman who -served the lady with the blotches. Hutin was quite right, she simply -wanted some patterns with the prices; and she detained the salesman -more than ten minutes, overwhelming him with questions. However, -Robineau had seen Hutin get up from behind the counter; and so when -another customer arrived, he interfered with a stern air, and stopped -the young man just as he was rushing forward.</p> - -<p>"Your turn has passed. I called you, and as you were there behind——"</p> - -<p>"But I didn't hear you, sir."</p> - -<p>"That'll do! write your name at the bottom. Now, Monsieur Favier, it's -your turn."</p> - -<p>Favier, greatly amused at heart by this adventure, gave his friend a -glance, as if to excuse himself. Hutin, with pale lips, had turned his -head away. What particularly enraged him was that he knew the customer -very well, an adorable blonde who often came to their department, and -whom the salesmen called amongst themselves "the pretty lady," knowing -nothing of her except her looks, not even her name. She always made -a good many purchases, instructed a messenger to take them to her -carriage, and then immediately disappeared. Tall, elegant, dressed with -exquisite taste, she appeared to be very rich, and to belong to the -best society.</p> - -<p>"Well! and your hussy?" asked Hutin of Favier, when the latter returned -from the pay-desk, whither he had accompanied the lady.</p> - -<p>"Oh! a hussy!" replied the other. "No, she looks far too lady-like. She -must be the wife of a stockbroker or a doctor, or something of that -sort."</p> - -<p>"Don't tell me! All the women get themselves up so much alike -now-a-days that it's impossible to tell what they are!"</p> - -<p>Favier glanced at his debit book. "I don't care!" he resumed, "I've -stuck her for two hundred and ninety-three francs. That makes nearly -three francs for me."</p> - -<p>Hutin bit his lips, and vented his spleen on the debit books. Another -invention for cramming their pockets! There was a secret rivalry -between these two. Favier, as a rule, pretended to consider himself -of small account and to recognise Hutin's superiority, but in reality -devoured him all the while behind his back. Thus, Hutin was wild at -the thought of the three francs pocketed so easily by a salesman whom -he considered his inferior in business-talent. A fine day's work! If -it went on like this, he would not earn enough to pay for the seltzer -water for his Sunday guests. And in the midst of the battle, which was -now becoming fiercer, he walked along the counters with hungry eyes, -eager for his share, jealous even of his superior, who was just showing -the thin young woman out, and saying to her:</p> - -<p>"Very well! it's understood. Tell her I'll do my best to obtain this -favour from Monsieur Mouret."</p> - -<p>Mouret had quitted his post up above some time before. Suddenly he -reappeared on the landing of the principal staircase which communicated -with the ground floor; and here again he commanded a view of the whole -establishment. His face was regaining its colour, his faith was coming -back and increasing at sight of the crowd which was gradually filling -the place. It was the expected rush at last, the afternoon crush, which -in his feverishness he had for a moment despaired of. All the shopmen -were at their posts, a last ring of the bell had announced the end -of the third lunch; the disasters of the morning, due no doubt to a -shower which had fallen about nine o'clock, could still be repaired, -for the blue sky of daybreak had come back with its victorious gaiety. -Now that the first-floor departments were growing animated, he was -obliged to stand back to make way for the women who were coming up to -the under-clothing and mantle departments; whilst, behind him, in the -lace and the shawl departments, he heard shopmen and customers talking -of large sums. But the sight of the galleries on the ground-floor -especially reassured him. There was a crowd among the haberdashery, and -even the linen and woollen departments were invaded. The procession of -buyers had closed up; and now nearly all of them wore hats or bonnets, -it was only here and there that you espied the white caps of a few -belated housewives. In the yellow light streaming down into the silk -hall, ladies had taken off their gloves to feel the Paris Delight on -which they commented in whispers. And there was no longer any mistaking -the noises which came from outside, the rolling of cabs, the banging of -carriage-doors, all the increasing tumult of a growing crowd. Mouret -felt that his machine was again setting to work beneath him, getting -up steam and reviving to activity, from the pay-desks where gold was -jingling, and the tables where messengers were hurriedly packing up -goods, to the delivery-room in the basement, which was quickly filling -with the parcels sent down to it, its subterraneous rumble seeming to -shake the whole house. And in the midst of the crowd was inspector -Jouve, walking about gravely, on the look-out for thieves.</p> - -<p>"Hullo! is that you?" said Mouret, all at once recognising Paul de -Vallagnosc whom a messenger was conducting to him. "No, no, you are -not in my way. Besides, you've only to follow me if you want to see -everything, for to-day I stay in the breach."</p> - -<p>He still felt a little anxious. No doubt there were plenty of people, -but would the sale prove to be the triumph he hoped for? However, he -laughed with Paul and gaily carried him off.</p> - -<p>"Things seem to be picking up a bit," said Hutin to Favier. "But -somehow I've no luck; there are some days that are precious bad, -my word! I've just made another miss, that old frump hasn't bought -anything."</p> - -<p>As he spoke he glanced towards a lady who was walking off, casting -looks of disgust at all the goods. He was not likely to get fat on his -thousand francs a year, unless he sold something; as a rule he made -seven or eight francs a day in commission, which with his regular pay -gave him an average of ten francs a day. Favier never made much more -than eight, and yet now that animal was literally taking the bread out -of his mouth, for he had just sold another dress. To think of it, a -cold-natured fellow who had never known how to amuse a customer! It was -exasperating.</p> - -<p>"Those chaps over there seem to be doing very well," remarked Favier, -speaking of the salesmen in the hosiery and haberdashery departments.</p> - -<p>But Hutin, who was looking all round the place, suddenly inquired: -"Do you know Madame Desforges, the governor's sweetheart? Look! that -dark woman in the glove department, who is having some gloves tried on -by Mignot." He paused, then resumed in a low tone, as if speaking to -Mignot, on whom he continued to direct his eyes: "Oh, go on, old man, -you may pull her fingers about as much as you like, that won't do you -any good! We know your conquests!"</p> - -<p>There was a rivalry between himself and the glove-man, the rivalry -of two handsome fellows, who both affected to flirt with the -lady-customers. As a matter of fact neither had any real conquests to -boast about, but they invented any number of mysterious adventures, -seeking to make people believe in all sorts of appointments given them -by titled ladies between two purchases.</p> - -<p>"You ought to get hold of her," said Favier, in his sly, artful way.</p> - -<p>"That's a good idea!" exclaimed Hutin. "If she comes here I'll let her -in for something extensive; I want a five-franc piece!"</p> - -<p>In the glove department there was quite a row of ladies seated before -the narrow counter covered with green velvet and edged with nickel -silver; and before them the smiling shopmen were heaping up flat boxes -of a bright pink, taken out of the counter itself, and resembling the -ticketed drawers of a secrétaire. Mignot, in particular, was bending -his pretty doll-like face forward, and striving to impart tender -inflections to his thick Parisian voice. He had already sold Madame -Desforges a dozen pairs of kid gloves, the Paradise gloves, one of the -specialties of the house. She had then asked for three pairs of Suèdes, -and was now trying on some Saxon gloves, for fear the size should not -be exact.</p> - -<p>"Oh! the fit is perfect, madame," repeated Mignot. "Six and a quarter -would be too large for a hand like yours."</p> - -<p>Half-lying on the counter, he held her hand, taking her fingers one -by one and slipping the glove on with a long, renewed, persistently -caressing touch, looking at her the while as if he expected to see in -her face some sign of pleasure. But she, with her elbow on the velvet -counter and her wrist raised, surrendered her fingers to him with the -same unconcerned air as that with which she gave her foot to her maid -so that she might button her boot. For her indeed he was not a man; she -utilized his services with the disdain she always showed for servants -and did not even look at him.</p> - -<p>"I don't hurt you, madame?" he inquired.</p> - -<p>She replied "No," with a shake of the head. The smell of the Saxon -gloves—a savage smell resembling sugared musk—troubled her as a rule, -but seated at this commonplace counter she did not notice it.</p> - -<p>"And what next, madame?" asked Mignot.</p> - -<p>"Nothing, thanks. Be good enough to carry the parcel to pay-desk No. -10, for Madame Desforges."</p> - -<p>Being a constant customer, she gave her name at a pay-desk, and had -each purchase sent there without requiring a shopman to follow her. -When she had gone away, Mignot turned towards his neighbour and winked, -and would have liked him to believe that some wonderful things had just -taken place.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, Madame Desforges continued her purchases. She turned to -the left, stopping in the linen department to procure some dusters; -then she walked round and went as far as the woollen department at the -further end of the gallery. As she was well pleased with her cook, -she wanted to make her a present of a dress. The woollen department -overflowed with a compact crowd; all the lower middle-class women were -there, feeling the stuffs and absorbed in mute calculations; and she -was obliged to sit down for a moment. The shelves were piled up with -great rolls of material which the salesmen took down one by one, with -a sudden pull. They were indeed getting confused with all the litter -on the counters, where stuffs were mingling and slipping down. It -was a sea of neutral tints, the dull hues of woollens—iron-greys, -yellow-greys and blue-greys, with here and there a Scotch tartan and a -blood-red flannel showing brightly. And the white tickets on the pieces -looked like a scanty shower of snow flakes, dotting a dark December -soil.</p> - -<p>Behind a pile of poplin, Liénard was joking with a tall bare-headed -girl, a work-girl of the neigbourhood, sent by her mistress to match -some merino. He detested these big-sale days, which tired him to death, -and endeavoured to shirk his work, getting plenty of money from his -father and not caring a fig about the business but doing only just -enough to avoid being dismissed.</p> - -<p>"Listen to me, Mademoiselle Fanny," he was saying; "you are always in a -hurry. Did the striped vicuna suit the other day? I shall come and see -you, and ask for my commission, mind."</p> - -<p>But the girl ran off, laughing, and Liénard found himself before Madame -Desforges, whom he could not help asking: "What can I serve you with, -madame?"</p> - -<p>She wanted a dress, not too dear but yet of strong stuff. Liénard, -with the view of sparing his arms, which was his principal thought, -manœuvred so as to make her take one of the stuffs already unfolded on -the counter. There were cashmeres, serges and vicunas there, and he -declared that there was nothing better to be had, for you could never -wear them out. However, none of these seemed to satisfy her. On one of -the shelves she had observed a blue shalloon, which she wished to see. -So he made up his mind at last, and took down the roll, but she thought -the material too rough. Then he showed her a cheviot, some diagonals, -some greys, every sort of woollens, which she felt out of curiosity, -just for the pleasure of doing so, decided at heart to take no matter -what. The young man was thus obliged to empty the highest shelves; his -shoulders cracked and the counter vanished under the silky grain of the -cashmeres and poplins, the rough nap of the cheviots and the tufty down -of the vicunas; there were samples of every material and every tint. -Though she had not the least wish to buy any, she even asked to see -some grenadine and some Chambéry gauze. Then, when she had seen enough, -she remarked:</p> - -<p>"Oh! after all, the first is the best; it's for my cook. Yes, the -narrow ribbed serge, the one at two francs." And when Liénard had -measured it, pale with suppressed anger, she added: "Have the goodness -to take that to pay-desk No. 10, for Madame Desforges."</p> - -<p>Just as she was going away, she recognised Madame Marty near her, -accompanied by her daughter Valentine, a tall girl of fourteen, thin -and bold, who already cast a woman's covetous looks on the materials.</p> - -<p>"Ah! it's you, dear madame?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, dear madame; what a crowd—is it not?"</p> - -<p>"Oh! don't speak of it, it's stifling. And such a success! Have you -seen the oriental saloon?"</p> - -<p>"Superb—wonderful!"</p> - -<p>Thereupon, amidst all the jostling, pushed hither and thither by the -growing crowd of modest purses rushing upon the cheap woollen goods, -they went into ecstasies over the exhibition of Eastern carpets. -And afterwards Madame Marty explained that she was looking for some -material for a mantle; but she had not quite made up her mind and -wanted to see some woollen <i>matelassé</i>.</p> - -<p>"Look, mamma," murmured Valentine, "it's too common."</p> - -<p>"Come to the silk department," then said Madame Desforges, "you must -see their famous Paris Delight."</p> - -<p>Madame Marty hesitated for a moment. It would be very dear, and she had -faithfully promised her husband to be reasonable! She had been buying -for an hour, quite a pile of articles was following her already: a muff -and some quilling for herself and some stockings for her daughter. She -finished by saying to the shopman who was showing her the <i>matelassé</i>:</p> - -<p>"Well—no; I'm going to the silk department; you've nothing to suit me."</p> - -<p>The shopman then took up the articles already purchased and walked off -before the ladies.</p> - -<p>In the silk department there was also a crowd, the principal crush -being opposite the inside display arranged by Hutin, to which Mouret -had given the finishing touches. This was at the further end of the -hall, around one of the slender wrought-iron columns which supported -the glass roof. A perfect torrent of material, a billowy cascade -fell from above, spreading out more and more as it neared the floor. -The bright satins and soft-tinted silks—the Reine and Renaissance -satins with the pearly tones of spring water; the light silks, -Nile-green, Indian-azure, May-pink, and Danube-blue all of crystalline -transparency—flowed forth above. Then came the stronger fabrics: -warm-tinted Merveilleux satins, and Duchess silks, rolling in waves -of increasing volume; whilst at the bottom, as in a fountain-basin, -the heavy materials, the figured armures, the damasks, and brocades, -the beaded silks and the silk embroidered with gold and silver, -reposed amidst a deep bed of velvet of every sort—black, white, -and coloured—with patterns stamped on silk and satin grounds, and -spreading out with their medley of colours like a still lake in which -reflections of sky and scenery were seemingly dancing. The women, pale -with desire, bent over as if to look at themselves in a mirror. And -before this gushing cataract they all remained hesitating between a -secret fear of being carried away by such a flood of luxury, and an -irresistible desire to jump in and be lost in it.</p> - -<p>"Here you are, then!" said Madame Desforges, on finding Madame -Bourdelais installed before a counter.</p> - -<p>"Ah! good day!" replied the latter, shaking hands with the other -ladies. "Yes, I've come to have a look."</p> - -<p>"What a prodigious exhibition! It's like a dream. And the oriental -saloon! Have you seen the oriental saloon?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes; extraordinary!"</p> - -<p>But beneath this enthusiasm, which was decidedly to be the fashionable -note of the day, Madame Bourdelais retained her practical housewifely -coolness. She was carefully examining a piece of Paris Delight, for -she had come on purpose to profit by the exceptional cheapness of this -silk, if she found it really advantageous. She was doubtless satisfied -with it, for she bought five-and-twenty yards, hoping that this -quantity would prove sufficient to make a dress for herself and a cloak -for her little girl.</p> - -<p>"What! you are going already?" resumed Madame Desforges. "Take a walk -round with us."</p> - -<p>"No, thanks; they are waiting for me at home. I didn't like to risk -bringing the children into this crowd."</p> - -<p>Thereupon she went away, preceded by the salesman carrying the -twenty-five yards of silk, who led her to pay-desk No. 10, where young -Albert was getting confused by all the demands for invoices with which -he was besieged. When the salesman was able to approach, after having -inscribed his sale on a debit-note, he called out the item, which -the cashier entered in a register; then it was checked, and the leaf -torn out of the salesman's debit book was stuck on a file near the -receipting stamp.</p> - -<p>"One hundred and forty francs," said Albert.</p> - -<p>Madame Bourdelais paid and gave her address, for having come on foot -she did not wish to be troubled with a parcel. Joseph had already -received the silk behind the pay-desk, and was tying it up; and then -the parcel, thrown into a basket on wheels, was sent down to the -delivery department, which seemed to swallow up all the goods in the -shop with a sluice-like roar.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, the block was becoming so great in the silk department -that Madame Desforges and Madame Marty could not find a salesman -disengaged. So they remained standing, mingling with the crowd of -ladies who were looking at the silks and feeling them, staying there -for hours without making up their minds. However the Paris Delight -proved the great success; around it pressed one of those crowds whose -feverish infatuation decrees a fashion in a day. A host of shopmen were -engaged in measuring off this silk; above the customers' heads you -could see the pale glimmer of the unfolded pieces, as the fingers of -the employees came and went along the oak yard measures hanging from -brass rods; and you could hear the noise of scissors swiftly cutting -the silk, as fast as it was unwound, as if indeed there were not -shopmen enough to suffice for all the greedy outstretched hands of the -purchasers.</p> - -<p>"It really isn't bad for five francs sixty centimes," said Madame -Desforges, who had succeeded in getting hold of a piece at the edge of -the table.</p> - -<p>Madame Marty and her daughter experienced some disappointment, however. -The newspapers had said so much about this silk, that they had expected -something stronger and more brilliant. However, Bouthemont had just -recognised Madame Desforges, and anxious to pay his court to such a -handsome lady, who was supposed to be all-powerful with the governor, -he came forward, with rather coarse amiability. What! no one was -serving her! it was unpardonable! He begged her to be indulgent, for -really they did not know which way to turn. And then he began to look -for some chairs amongst the neighbouring skirts, laughing the while -with his good-natured laugh, full of a brutal love for the sex, which -did not seem to displease Henriette.</p> - -<p>"I say," murmured Favier, as he went to take some velvet from a shelf -behind Hutin, "there's Bouthemont making up to your mash."</p> - -<p>Beside himself with rage with an old lady, who, after keeping him a -quarter of an hour, had finished by buying a yard of black satin for -a pair of stays, Hutin had quite forgotten Madame Desforges. In busy -moments they took no notice of the turns, each salesman served the -customers as they arrived. And he was answering Madame Boutarel, who -was finishing her afternoon at The Ladies' Paradise, where she had -already spent three hours in the morning, when Favier's warning made -him start. What! was he going to miss the governor's sweetheart, from -whom he had sworn to extract a five-franc piece for himself? That would -be the height of ill-luck, for he hadn't made three francs as yet with -all those other chignons who were mooning about the place!</p> - -<p>Bouthemont was just then calling out loudly: "Come gentlemen, some one -this way!"</p> - -<p>Thereupon Hutin passed Madame Boutarel over to Robineau, who was doing -nothing. "Here's the second-hand, madame. He will answer you better -than I can."</p> - -<p>And he rushed off to take Madame Marty's purchases from the woollen -salesman who had accompanied the ladies. That day a nervous excitement -must have interfered with his usually keen scent. As a rule, the first -glance told him if a customer meant to buy, and how much. Then he -domineered over the customer, hastened to serve her so as to pass on to -another, imposing his choice upon her and persuading her that he knew -better than herself what material she required.</p> - -<p>"What sort of silk, madame?" he asked, in his most gallant manner and -Madame Desforges had no sooner opened her mouth than he added: "I know, -I've got just what you want."</p> - -<p>When the piece of Paris Delight was unfolded on a corner of the -counter, between heaps of other silks, Madame Marty and her daughter -approached. Hutin, rather anxious, understood that it was at first a -question of serving these two. Whispered words were exchanged, Madame -Desforges was advising her friend. "Oh! certainly," she murmured. "A -silk at five francs twelve sous will never equal one at fifteen, or -even ten."</p> - -<p>"It is very light," repeated Madame Marty. "I'm afraid that it has not -sufficient body for a mantle."</p> - -<p>This remark induced the salesman to intervene. He smiled with the -exaggerated politeness of a man who cannot make a mistake. "But -flexibility, madame, is the chief quality of this silk. It will not -crimple. It's exactly what you require."</p> - -<p>Impressed by such an assurance, the ladies said no more. They had taken -the silk up, and were again examining it, when they felt a touch on -their shoulders. It was Madame Guibal, who had been slowly walking -about the shop for an hour past, feasting her eyes on all the assembled -riches but not buying so much as a yard of calico. And now there was -another explosion of gossip.</p> - -<p>"What! Is that you?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, it's I, rather knocked about though."</p> - -<p>"What a crowd—eh? One can't get about. And the oriental saloon?"</p> - -<p>"Ravishing!"</p> - -<p>"Good heavens! what a success! Stay a moment, we will go upstairs -together."</p> - -<p>"No, thanks, I've just come down."</p> - -<p>Hutin was waiting, concealing his impatience beneath a smile that did -not quit his lips. Were they going to keep him there long? Really the -women took things very coolly, it was like stealing money out of his -pocket. At last, however, Madame Guibal went off to resume her stroll, -turning round the large display of silks with an enraptured air.</p> - -<p>"Well, if I were you I should buy the mantle ready-made," said Madame -Desforges, suddenly returning to the Paris Delight. "It won't cost you -so much."</p> - -<p>"It's true that the trimmings and making-up——" murmured Madame Marty. -"Besides, one has more choice."</p> - -<p>All three had risen; Madame Desforges, turning to Hutin, said to him: -"Have the goodness to show us to the mantle department."</p> - -<p>He remained dumbfounded, unaccustomed as he was to such defeats. What! -the dark lady bought nothing! Had he made a mistake then? Abandoning -Madame Marty he thereupon attacked Madame Desforges, exerting all his -ability as a salesman on her. "And you, madame, would you not like to -see our satins, our velvets? We have some extraordinary bargains."</p> - -<p>"Thanks, another time," she coolly replied, looking at him no more than -she had looked at Mignot.</p> - -<p>Hutin had to take up Madame Marty's purchases and walk off before the -ladies to show them to the mantle department. But he also had the grief -of seeing that Robineau was selling Madame Boutarel a large quantity of -silk. Decidedly his scent was playing him false, he wouldn't make four -sous! Beneath the amiable propriety of his manners his heart swelled -with the rage of a man robbed and devoured by others.</p> - -<p>"On the first floor, ladies," said he, without ceasing to smile.</p> - -<p>It was no easy matter to reach the staircase. A compact crowd of heads -was surging under the galleries and expanding like an overflowing -river in the middle of the hall. Quite a battle of business was going -on, the salesmen had this population of women at their mercy, and -passed them on from one to another with feverish haste. The moment -of the formidable afternoon rush, when the over-heated machine led -its customers such a feverish dance, extracting money from their very -flesh, had at last arrived. In the silk department especially a gust -of folly seemed to reign, the Paris Delight had brought such a crowd -together that for several minutes Hutin could not advance a step; and -Henriette, half-suffocated, having raised her eyes to the summit of the -stairs there beheld Mouret, who ever returned thither as to a favourite -position, from which he could view victory. She smiled, hoping that he -would come down and extricate her. But he did not even recognise her in -the crowd; he was still with Vallagnosc, showing him the establishment, -his face beaming with triumph the while.</p> - -<p>The trepidation within was now stifling all outside noise; you no -longer heard the rumbling of the vehicles, nor the banging of their -doors; apart from the loud buzzing of the sales nought remained but -a consciousness that the immensity of Paris stretched all around, an -immensity which would always furnish buyers. In the heavy still air, -in which the fumes of the heating apparatus heightened the odours -of the stuffs, there was an increasing hubbub compounded of all -sorts of noises, of continual tramping, of phrases a hundred times -repeated around the counters, of gold jingling on the brass tablets -of the pay-desks, which a legion of purses besieged, and of baskets -on wheels laden with parcels which were constantly disappearing into -the gaping cellars. And, amidst the fine dust, everything finished by -getting mixed, it became impossible to recognise the divisions of the -different departments; the haberdashery department over yonder seemed -submerged; further on, in the linen department, a ray of sunshine, -entering by a window facing the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, looked like -a golden dart in a mass of snow; while, among the gloves and woollens, -a dense mass of bonnets and chignons hid the background of the shop -from view. Even the toilettes could no longer be distinctly seen, the -head-gear alone appeared, decked with feathers and ribbons, while a -few men's hats here and there showed like black spots, and the woman's -complexions, pale with fatigue and heat, assumed the transparency of -camelias. At last, Hutin—thanks to his vigorous elbows—was able to -open a way for the ladies, by keeping in front of them. But on reaching -the landing, Henriette no longer found Mouret there, for he had just -plunged Vallagnosc into the midst of the crowd in order to complete his -bewilderment, he himself, too, feeling the need of a dip into this bath -of success. He lost his breath with rapture, feeling the while a kind -of continuous caress from all his customers.</p> - -<p>"To the left, ladies," said Hutin, still attentive despite his -increasing exasperation.</p> - -<p>Up above, however, there was the same block. People invaded even the -furnishing department, usually the quietest of all. The shawl, the fur, -and the under-clothing departments literally swarmed with customers; -and as the ladies crossed the lace gallery another meeting took place. -Madame de Boves was there with her daughter Blanche, both buried amidst -the articles which Deloche was showing them. And again Hutin had to -make a halt, parcel in hand.</p> - -<p>"Good afternoon! I was just thinking of you."</p> - -<p>"I've been looking for you myself. But how can you expect to find any -one in this crowd?"</p> - -<p>"It's magnificent, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Dazzling, my dear. We can hardly stand."</p> - -<p>"And you're buying?"</p> - -<p>"Oh! no, we're only looking round. It rests us a little to be seated."</p> - -<p>As a fact, Madame de Boves, with scarcely more than her cab-fare in -her purse, was having all sorts of laces handed down, simply for the -pleasure of seeing and handling them. She had guessed Deloche to be -a new salesman, slow and awkward, who dared not resist a customer's -whims; and she had taken advantage of his bewildered good-nature, to -keep him there for half an hour, still asking for fresh articles. The -counter was covered, and she plunged her hands into an increasing -mountain of lace, Malines, Valenciennes, and Chantilly, her fingers -trembling with desire, her face gradually warming with a sensual -delight; whilst Blanche, close to her, agitated by the same passion, -was very pale, her flesh inflated and flabby. However, the conversation -continued; and Hutin, standing there waiting their good pleasure, could -have slapped their faces for all the time they were making him lose.</p> - -<p>"Ah!" said Madame Marty, "you're looking at some cravats and -handkerchiefs like those I showed you the other day."</p> - -<p>This was true; Madame de Boves, tormented by Madame Marty's lace ever -since the previous Saturday, had been unable to resist the desire to at -least handle some like it, since the meagre allowance which her husband -made her did not permit her to carry any away. She blushed slightly, -explaining that Blanche had wished to see the Spanish-blonde cravats. -Then she added: "You're going to the mantles. Well! we'll see you -again. Shall we say in the oriental saloon?"</p> - -<p>"That's it, in the oriental saloon—Superb, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>Then they separated enraptured, amidst the obstruction which the sale -of insertions and small trimmings at low prices was causing. Deloche, -glad to be occupied, again began emptying the boxes before the mother -and daughter. And amidst the groups pressing close to the counters, -inspector Jouve slowly walked about with his military air, displaying -his decoration and watching over all the fine and precious goods, so -easy to conceal up a sleeve. When he passed behind Madame de Boves, -surprised to see her with her arms plunged in such a heap of lace he -cast a quick glance at her feverish hands.</p> - -<p>"To the right, ladies," said Hutin, resuming his march.</p> - -<p>He was beside himself with rage. Was it not enough that he had missed -a sale down below? Now they kept on delaying him at each turn of the -shop! And with his annoyance was blended no little of the rancour that -existed between the textile and the ready-made departments, which -were in continual hostility, ever fighting for customers and stealing -each other's percentages and commissions. Those of the silk hall were -yet more enraged than those of the woollen department whenever a lady -decided to take a mantle after looking at numerous taffetas and failles -and they were obliged to conduct her to Madame Aurélie's gallery.</p> - -<p>"Mademoiselle Vadon!" said Hutin, in an angry voice, when he at last -arrived in the department.</p> - -<p>But Mademoiselle Vadon passed by without listening, absorbed in a sale -which she was conducting. The room was full, a stream of people were -crossing it, entering by the door of the lace department and leaving -by that of the under-clothing department, whilst on the right were -customers trying on garments, and posing before the mirrors. The red -carpet stifled all noise of footsteps here, and the distant roar from -the ground-floor died away, giving place to a discreet murmur and a -drawing-room warmth, increased by the presence of so many women.</p> - -<p>"Mademoiselle Prunaire!" cried out Hutin. And as she also took no -notice of him, he added between his teeth, so as not to be heard: "A -set of jades!"</p> - -<p>He was certainly not fond of them, tired to death as he was by climbing -the stairs to bring them customers and furious at the profits which -he accused them of taking out of his pocket. It was a secret warfare, -into which the young ladies themselves entered with equal fierceness; -and in their mutual weariness, always on foot and worked to death, all -difference of sex disappeared and nothing remained but their contending -interests, irritated by the fever of business.</p> - -<p>"So there's no one here to serve?" asked Hutin.</p> - -<p>But he suddenly caught sight of Denise. She had been kept folding all -the morning, only allowed to serve a few doubtful customers, to whom -moreover she had not sold anything. When Hutin recognised her, occupied -in clearing an enormous heap of garments off the counters, he ran up to -her.</p> - -<p>"Look here, mademoiselle! serve these ladies who are waiting."</p> - -<p>Thereupon he quickly slipped Madame Marty's purchases into her arms, -tired as he was of carrying them about. His smile returned to him -but it was instinct with the secret maliciousness of the experienced -salesman, who shrewdly guessed into what an awkward position he had -just thrown both the ladies and the young girl. The latter, however, -remained quite perturbed by the prospect of this unhoped-for sale which -suddenly presented itself. For the second time Hutin appeared to her as -an unknown friend, fraternal and tender-hearted, always ready to spring -out of the darkness to save her. Her eyes glistened with gratitude; she -followed him with a lingering look, whilst he began elbowing his way as -fast as possible towards his department.</p> - -<p>"I want a mantle," said Madame Marty.</p> - -<p>Then Denise questioned her. What style of mantle? But the lady had no -idea, she wished to see what the house had got. And the young girl, -already very tired, bewildered by the crowd, quite lost her head; she -had never served any but the rare customers who came to Cornaille's, -at Valognes; she did not even know the number of the models, nor -their places in the cupboards. And so she was hardly able to reply to -the ladies, who were beginning to lose patience, when Madame Aurélie -perceived Madame Desforges, of whose connection with Mouret she was no -doubt aware, for she hastened up and asked with a smile:</p> - -<p>"Are these ladies being served?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, that young person over there is attending to us," replied -Henriette. "But she does not appear to be very well up to her work; she -can't find anything."</p> - -<p>At this, the first-hand completely paralyzed Denise by stepping up -to her and saying in a whisper: "You see very well you know nothing. -Don't interfere any more, please." Then turning round she called out: -"Mademoiselle Vadon, these ladies require a mantle!"</p> - -<p>She remained looking on whilst Marguerite showed the models. This girl -assumed a dry polite voice with customers, the disagreeable manner of -a young person robed in silk, accustomed to rub against elegance in -every form, and full, unknown to herself, of jealousy and rancour. -When she heard Madame Marty say that she did not wish to pay more -than two hundred francs, she made a grimace of pity. Oh! madame would -certainly give more, for it would be impossible to find anything at -all suitable for two hundred francs. Then she threw some of the common -mantles on a counter with a gesture which signified: "Just see, aren't -they pitiful?" Madame Marty dared not think them nice after that; but -bent over to murmur in Madame Desforges's ear: "Don't you prefer to be -served by men? One feels more comfortable?"</p> - -<p>At last Marguerite brought a silk mantle trimmed with jet, which she -treated with respect. And thereupon Madame Aurélie abruptly called -Denise.</p> - -<p>"Come, do something at all events. Just put that on your shoulders."</p> - -<p>Denise, wounded to the heart, despairing of ever succeeding, had -remained motionless, her hands dangling by her side. No doubt she would -be sent away, and the children would be without food. All the tumult -of the crowd buzzed in her head, her legs were tottering and her arms -bruised by the handling of so many garments, a porter's work which -she had never done before. However, she was obliged to obey and allow -Marguerite to put the mantle on her, as on a dummy.</p> - -<p>"Stand upright," said Madame Aurélie.</p> - -<p>But a moment afterwards Denise was forgotten. Mouret had just come -in with Vallagnosc and Bourdoncle; and he bowed to the ladies, who -complimented him on his magnificent exhibition of winter novelties. Of -course they went into raptures over the oriental saloon. Vallagnosc, -who was finishing his walk through the departments, displayed more -surprise than admiration; for, after all, thought he, with his -pessimist nonchalance, it was nothing more than an immense collection -of drapery. Bourdoncle, however, forgetting that he himself belonged to -the establishment, likewise congratulated the governor in order to make -him forget his anxious doubts and persecutions of the earlier part of -the day.</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes; things are going on very well, I'm quite satisfied," -repeated Mouret, radiant, replying with a smile to Madame Desforges's -loving looks. "But I must not interrupt you, ladies."</p> - -<p>Then all eyes were again turned on Denise. She placed herself entirely -in the hands of Marguerite, who was making her turn round.</p> - -<p>"What do you think of it—eh?" asked Madame Marty of Madame Desforges.</p> - -<p>The latter gave her opinion, like a supreme umpire of fashion. "It -isn't bad, the cut is original, but it doesn't seem to me very graceful -about the waist."</p> - -<p>"Oh!" interrupted Madame Aurélie, "it must be seen on the lady herself. -You can understand, it does not have much effect on this young person, -who is so slim. Hold up your head, mademoiselle, give the mantle all -its importance."</p> - -<p>They smiled. Denise had turned very pale. She felt ashamed at being -thus turned into a machine, which they examined and joked about so -freely.</p> - -<p>Madame Desforges, yielding to the natural antipathy of a contrary -nature, annoyed by the girl's gentle face, maliciously added: "No -doubt it would set better if the young person's gown were not so -loose-fitting."</p> - -<p>Thereupon she cast at Mouret the mocking glance of a Parisienne amused -by the ridiculous rig of a country girl. He felt the amorous caress -of this glance, the triumph of a woman proud of her beauty and her -art. And so out of pure gratitude, the gratitude of a man who knew -himself to be adored, he felt obliged to joke in his turn, despite his -good-will towards Denise of whose secret charm he was conscious.</p> - -<p>"Besides, her hair should be combed," he murmured.</p> - -<p>This was the last straw. The director deigned to laugh so all the young -ladies ventured to do the same. Marguerite risked a slight chuckle, -like a well-behaved girl who restrains herself; but Clara left a -customer so as to enjoy the fun at her ease; and even some saleswomen -of the under-clothing department came in, attracted by the talking. -As for the lady customers they took it more quietly, with an air of -well-bred enjoyment. Madame Aurélie was the only one who did not smile; -it was as if Denise's splendid wild-looking hair and slender virginal -shoulders had dishonoured her, compromised the good reputation of her -department. Denise herself had turned paler still, amidst all these -people who were laughing at her. She felt herself violated, exposed to -all their hostile glances, without defence. What had she done that they -should thus attack her spare figure, and her too luxuriant hair? But -she was especially wounded by Madame Desforges's and Mouret's laughter, -instinctively divining their connection and her heart sinking with -an unknown grief. That lady was surely very ill-natured to attack a -poor girl who had said nothing; and as for Mouret, he most decidedly -filled her with a freezing fear, in which all her other sentiments -disappeared. And, totally abandoned, assailed in her most cherished -feelings of modesty, indignant at such injustice, she was obliged to -stifle the sobs which were rising in her throat.</p> - -<p>"I should think so; let her comb her hair to-morrow," said the terrible -Bourdoncle to Madame Aurélie. Full of scorn for Denise's small limbs he -had condemned her the first time he had seen her.</p> - -<p>At last the first-hand came and took the mantle off Denise's shoulders, -saying to her in a low tone: "Well! mademoiselle, here's a fine start. -Really, if this is the way you show your capabilities—It is impossible -to be more stupid!"</p> - -<p>Fearing that her tears might gush from her eyes Denise hastened back -to the heap of garments, which she began sorting on the counter. -There at least she was lost in the crowd. Fatigue prevented her from -thinking. But all at once near by she perceived the saleswoman of the -under-clothing department, who had already defended her that morning. -The latter had followed the scene, and murmured in her ear:</p> - -<p>"My poor child, you mustn't be so sensitive. Keep that to yourself, -or they'll go on worse and worse. I come from Chartres. Yes, Pauline -Cugnot is my name; and my parents are millers. Well! the girls here -would have devoured me during the first few days if I had not stood up -firm. Come, be brave! give me your hand, we'll have a talk together -whenever you like."</p> - -<p>This outstretched hand redoubled Denise's confusion; she shook it -furtively and hastened to take up a load of cloaks, fearing lest she -might again be accused of a transgression and receive a scolding if it -were known she had a friend.</p> - -<p>However, Madame Aurélie herself, had just put the mantle on Madame -Marty, and they all exclaimed: "Oh! how nice! delightful!" It at -once looked quite different. Madame Desforges decided that it would -be impossible to improve on it. A good deal of bowing ensued, Mouret -took his leave, whilst Vallagnosc, who had perceived Madame de Boves -and her daughter in the lace department, hastened to offer his arm -to the former. Marguerite, standing before one of the pay-desks, was -already calling out the different purchases made by Madame Marty, who -settled for them and ordered the parcel to be taken to her cab. Madame -Desforges had found her articles at pay-desk No. 10. Then the ladies -met once more in the oriental saloon. They were leaving, but it was -amidst a loquacious outburst of admiration. Even Madame Guibal became -enthusiastic.</p> - -<p>"Oh! delicious! it makes you think you are in the East; doesn't it?"</p> - -<p>"A real harem, and not at all dear!"</p> - -<p>"And the Smyrnas! oh, the Smyrnas! what tones, what delicacy!"</p> - -<p>"And that Kurdestan! Just look, a real Delacroix!"</p> - -<p>The crowd was thinning. The bell, at an hour's interval, had already -announced the first two dinners; the third was about to be served, and -in the departments there now only remained a few lingering customers, -whose fever for spending money had made them forget the time. Outside -nothing was heard but the rolling of the last cabs breaking upon the -husky voice of Paris, a snort like that of a satiated ogre digesting -all the linens and cloths, silks and laces with which he had been -gorged since the morning. Within, beneath the flaming gas-jets, which, -burning in the twilight, had illumined the last supreme efforts of the -sale, everything looked like a field of battle still warm with the -massacre of the materials. The salesmen, harassed and fatigued, camped -amidst the contents of their shelves and counters, which appeared to -have been thrown into confusion by the furious blast of a hurricane. -It was with difficulty that you traversed the galleries on the ground -floor, obstructed by straggling chairs. In the glove department it -was necessary to step over a pile of cases heaped up around Mignot; -through the woollens there was no means of passing at all, Liénard was -dozing on an ocean of bales, in which certain pieces standing on end, -though half destroyed, seemed like houses which an overflowing river -was carrying away; and, further on, the linen department appeared like -a heavy fall of snow, and you stumbled against icebergs of napkins, and -walked through flakes of handkerchiefs.</p> - -<p>The same disorder prevailed upstairs, in the departments of the first -floor: the furs were scattered over the flooring, the mantles were -heaped up like the great-coats of soldiers <i>hors-de-combat</i>, the laces -and the under-linen, unfolded, crumpled, thrown about everywhere, made -you think of a nation of women who had disrobed themselves there; -whilst down below, in the depths of the establishment, the delivery -department, now in full activity, was still and ever disgorging the -parcels which filled it to suffocation and which were carried off by -the vans, in a last effort of the overheated machine. But it was on -the silk department especially that the customers had flung themselves -with the greatest ardour. There they had cleared off everything, there -was abundant room to pass, the hall was bare; the whole of the colossal -stock of Paris Delight had been cut up and carried away, as if by a -swarm of devouring locusts. And in the midst of this great void, Hutin -and Favier were running through the counterfoils of their debit-notes, -calculating their commission, and still short of breath from the -struggle. Favier, it turned out, had made fifteen francs while Hutin -had only managed to make thirteen; he had been thoroughly beaten that -day, and was enraged at his bad luck. The eyes of both sparkled with -the passion for gain. And all around them other shopmen were likewise -adding up figures, glowing with the same fever, in the brutal gaiety -which follows victorious carnage.</p> - -<p>"Well, Bourdoncle!" cried out Mouret, "are you trembling still?"</p> - -<p>He had returned to his favourite position against the balustrade, at -the top of the stairs, and, in presence of the massacre of stuffs -spread out below him, he indulged in a victorious laugh. His fears of -the morning, that moment of unpardonable weakness which nobody would -ever know of, inspired him with a greater desire to triumph. The battle -was definitely won, the small tradespeople of the neighbourhood were -done for, and Baron Hartmann was conquered, with his millions and his -building sites. Whilst Mouret gazed at the cashiers bending over their -ledgers, adding up long columns of figures, whilst he listened to the -sound of the gold, falling from their fingers into the metal bowls, he -already beheld The Ladies' Paradise growing and growing, enlarging its -hall and prolonging its galleries as far as the Rue du Dix-Décembre.</p> - -<p>"And now," he resumed, "are you not convinced, Bourdoncle, that the -house is really too small? We could have sold twice as much."</p> - -<p>Bourdoncle humbled himself, enraptured, moreover, to find himself -in the wrong. But another spectacle rendered them grave. As was the -custom every evening, Lhomme, the chief sales' cashier, had just -collected the receipts from each pay-desk; and after adding them up, -he wrote the total amount on a paper which he displayed by hanging it -on the iron claw with which the stump of his mutilated arm, severed -at the elbow, was provided. And then he took the receipts up to the -chief cash office, some in a leather case and some in bags, according -to the nature of the specie. On this occasion the gold and silver -predominated, and he slowly walked upstairs carrying three enormous -bags, which he clasped with his one arm against his breast, holding one -of them with his chin in order to prevent it from slipping. His heavy -breathing could be heard at a distance as he passed along, staggering -and superb, amidst the respectful shopmen.</p> - -<p>"How much, Lhomme?" asked Mouret.</p> - -<p>"Eighty thousand seven hundred and forty-two francs ten centimes," -replied the cashier.</p> - -<p>A joyous laugh stirred up The Ladies' Paradise. The amount ran through -the establishment. It was the highest figure ever attained in one day's -sales by a draper's shop.</p> - -<p>That evening, when Denise went up to bed, she felt so faint that she -was obliged to lean against the partition in the corridor under the -zinc roof. And when she was inside her room, with the door closed, she -fell down on the bed; her feet pained her so much. For a long time she -continued gazing with a stupid air at the dressing-table, the wardrobe, -all the lodginghouse-like bareness. This, then, was where she was -going to live; and her first day—an abominable, endless day—filled -her with sore distress. She would never have the courage to go through -such another. Then she perceived that she was dressed in silk; and -this uniform depressed her. She was childish enough, before unpacking -her box, to put on her old woollen gown, which hung over the back of a -chair. But when she had once more donned this poor garment a painful -emotion choked her; the sobs which she had kept back all day suddenly -found vent in a flood of hot tears. She fell back on the bed, weeping -at the thought of the two children, and she wept on and on, without -even the strength to take off her boots, so completely was she overcome -with fatigue and grief.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a></h4> - - -<p>The next day Denise had scarcely been downstairs half an hour, when -Madame Aurélie said to her in her sharp voice: "You are wanted at the -director's office, mademoiselle."</p> - -<p>The girl found Mouret alone, in his spacious room hung with green rep. -He had suddenly remembered that "unkempt girl," as Bourdoncle called -her; and he, who usually detested the part of fault-finder, had thought -of sending for her and stirring her up a bit, if she were still dressed -in the style of a country wench. On the previous day, despite his -jocularity, he had experienced a feeling of wounded pride, on seeing -the elegance of one of his saleswomen questioned in Madame Desforges's -presence. He harboured a mixed sentiment with regard to Denise, a -commingling, as it were, of sympathy and anger.</p> - -<p>"We engaged you, mademoiselle," he commenced, "out of regard for your -uncle, and you must not put us under the sad necessity——"</p> - -<p>But all at once he stopped. On the other side of his table stood -Denise, upright, serious, and pale. Her silk gown was no longer too -big for her, but fitted tightly to her pretty figure, displayed the -pure lines of her virgin shoulders; and if her hair, knotted in thick -tresses, still appeared somewhat wild, she had at least tried to keep -it in order. After falling asleep with her clothes on, her eyes red -with weeping, she had, on waking at about four o'clock, felt ashamed of -her nervous sensibility, and had immediately set about taking-in her -dress; besides spending an hour before the tiny looking-glass, combing -her hair, which she was unable to reduce as much as she would have -liked to.</p> - -<p>"Ah! thank heavens!" said Mouret, "you look better this morning. But -there's still that dreadful hair!" With these words he rose from his -seat and stepped up to her to try and smooth her rebellious tresses in -the same familiar way as Madame Aurélie on the previous day. "There! -Just tuck that in behind your ear," he said, "The chignon is too high."</p> - -<p>She did not speak, but let him arrange her hair. In spite of her vow -to be strong and brave she had reached the office full of misgivings, -feeling certain that she had been summoned to be informed of her -dismissal. And Mouret's evident kindliness did not reassure her; she -was still afraid of him, feeling whenever near him that uneasiness -which she attributed to natural anxiety in the presence of a powerful -man on whom her future depended. And when he saw her thus trembling -under his hands, which were grazing her neck, he began to regret his -good-natured impulse, for he feared above all to lose his authority.</p> - -<p>"In short, mademoiselle," he resumed, once more placing the table -between himself and her, "try and look to your appearance. You are no -longer at Valognes; study our Parisian young ladies. If your uncle's -name has sufficed to gain you admittance to our house, I at least -trust that you will seek to justify the good opinion I formed of you -from your appearance. Unfortunately, everybody here is not of the same -opinion as myself. Let this be a warning to you. Don't make me tell a -falsehood."</p> - -<p>He treated her like a child, with more pity than kindness, his -curiosity simply awakened by the troublous, womanly charm which he -divined was springing up in this poor awkward girl. And she, whilst he -was lecturing her, having suddenly perceived the portrait of Madame -Hédouin, whose handsome regular face was smiling gravely in its gold -frame—felt herself shivering again, despite the encouraging words he -addressed to her. That was the dead lady, she whom people accused him -of having killed, in order to found the house with the blood of her -limbs.</p> - -<p>Mouret was still speaking. "Now you may go," he said at last, sitting -down and taking up his pen. And thereupon she went off, heaving a deep -sigh of relief.</p> - -<p>From that day onward, Denise put forth all her courage. Beneath her -attacks of sensitiveness, a strong sense of reason was constantly -working, quite a feeling of bravery at finding herself weak and alone, -with a cheerful determination to carry out her self-imposed task. She -made very little stir but went straight ahead to her goal, overcoming -all obstacles, and that simply and naturally, for her nature was one of -unconquerable sweetness.</p> - -<p>At first she had to surmount the terrible fatigues of her work in the -department. The piles of garments strained her arms to such a degree -that during the first six weeks she cried with pain when she turned -over at night, her back aching and her shoulders bruised. But she -suffered still more from her shoes, heavy shoes which she had brought -from Valognes; lack of money preventing her from replacing them by -light boots. Always on her legs, trotting about from morning to night, -scolded if she were seen leaning for a moment against a partition, -her feet, small like those of a child, became swollen by prolonged -imprisonment in those torturing bluchers; the heels throbbed with fever -and the soles were covered with blisters, the skin of which chafed off -and stuck to her stockings. She experienced, too, a shattering of her -whole frame; the constant weariness of her legs painfully affected her -system and her face was ever pale. And yet she, so spare and frail, -resisted courageously, whilst a great many other saleswomen, attacked -by special maladies, were obliged to quit the business. Her readiness -to suffer, her valiant stubbornness sustained her, smiling and upright, -however, even when she felt ready to give way, thoroughly worn out by -labour to which many men would have succumbed.</p> - -<p>Another torment was to have the whole department against her. To -physical martyrdom was added the secret persecutions of her comrades. -Two months of patience and gentleness had not disarmed them. She was -constantly exposed to offensive remarks, cruel inventions, a series of -slights which cut her to the heart, in her longing for affection. For -a long time the others joked over her unfortunate first appearance; -and such nicknames as "clogs" and "numbskull" were bestowed on her. -Then those who missed a sale were advised to go to Valognes; in -short, she passed for the fool of the place. And afterwards when she -revealed herself to be a remarkably clever saleswoman, well up in the -mechanism of the house, the others conspired to deprive her of all -good customers. Marguerite and Clara pursued her with instinctive -hatred, allying themselves together in order that they might not be -swallowed up by this new-comer, whom they really feared in spite of -their affected disdain. As for Madame Aurélie, she was hurt by the -proud reserve displayed by Denise, who did not hover round her skirts -with an air of caressing admiration; and she therefore abandoned her -to the rancour of her favourites, the preferred ones of her court, who -were always on their knees, feeding her with the continual flattery -which could alone impart any amiability to her proud domineering -nature. For a while, the second-hand, Madame Frédéric, appeared not to -enter into the conspiracy, but this must have been by inadvertence, for -she showed herself equally harsh directly she saw to what annoyances -her good-nature was likely to expose her. Then the abandonment became -complete, they all made a butt of the "unkempt girl," who lived on in -an hourly struggle, only managing by dint of the greatest courage to -hold her own in the department.</p> - -<p>Such then was her life now. She had to smile, look brave and gracious -in a silk gown which did not belong to her, and she was ever suffering -from fatigue, badly treated, under the continual menace of a brutal -dismissal. Her room was her only refuge, the only spot where she -could indulge in the luxury of a cry, when she had suffered too much -during the day. But a terrible coldness fell from the zinc roof, now -covered with the December snow; she was obliged to nestle in her iron -bedstead, pile all her clothes over her, and weep under the counterpane -to prevent the frost from chapping her face. Mouret never spoke to her -now; when she noticed Bourdoncle's severe looks during business hours -she trembled, for she divined in him a born enemy who would not forgive -her the slightest fault. And amidst this general hostility, inspector -Jouve's strange friendliness astonished her. If he met her in any -out-of-the-way corner he smiled at her and made some amiable remark; -twice, too, he had saved her from being reprimanded without any show of -gratitude on her part, for she was more troubled than touched by his -protecting airs.</p> - -<p>One evening, after dinner, while the young ladies were setting the -cupboards in order, Joseph came to inform Denise that a young man -wanted her below. She went down, feeling very anxious.</p> - -<p>"Hallo!" said Clara, "the 'unkempt girl' has got a follower then."</p> - -<p>"He must be hard up for a sweetheart," declared Marguerite.</p> - -<p>Meantime, downstairs at the door, Denise found her brother Jean. She -had formally prohibited him from coming to the shop in this way, as it -looked so bad. But she did not dare to scold him, so excited did he -appear, bareheaded, out of breath through running all the way from the -Faubourg du Temple.</p> - -<p>"Have you got ten francs?" he stammered. "Give me ten francs, or I'm a -lost man."</p> - -<p>With his flowing locks and handsome girlish face the young rascal -looked so comical, whilst launching out this melodramatic phrase, -that she could have smiled had it not been for the anguish which his -application for money caused her.</p> - -<p>"What! ten francs?" she murmured. "Whatever's the matter?"</p> - -<p>Thereupon he blushed, and explained that he had met a friend's sister. -Denise stopped him, feeling embarrassed and not wishing to know any -more about it. Twice already had he rushed in to obtain similar loans, -but on the first occasion it had only been a matter of twenty-five -sous, and on the next of thirty. He was, however, always getting into -bad company.</p> - -<p>"I can't give you ten francs," she resumed. "Pépé's board isn't paid -yet, and I've only just the money for it. I shall have hardly enough -to buy a pair of boots, which I want very badly. You are really not -reasonable, Jean. It's too bad of you."</p> - -<p>"Well, I'm lost," he repeated, with a tragical gesture. "Just listen, -little sister; she's a tall, dark girl; we went to the café with her -brother. I never thought the drinks would——"</p> - -<p>She had to interrupt him again, and as tears were coming into his eyes, -she took out her purse and slipped a ten-franc piece into his hand. He -at once set up a laugh.</p> - -<p>"I was sure of it!—But on my honour! never again! A fellow would have -to be a regular scamp."</p> - -<p>And thereupon he ran off, after kissing his sister, like a madman. The -assistants in the shop seemed quite astonished.</p> - -<p>That night Denise did not sleep much. Since her entry into The -Ladies' Paradise, money had been her cruel anxiety. She was still -a probationer, without a salary; the other girls in her department -frequently prevented her from selling, and she only just managed to -pay Pépé's board and lodging, thanks to the unimportant customers they -were good enough to leave her. It was a time of black misery—misery -in a silk dress. She was often obliged to spend the night in repairing -her small stock of clothes, darning her linen, mending her chemises -as if they had been lace; without mentioning the patches that she put -on her shoes, as cleverly as any bootmaker could have done. She even -risked washing things in her hand basin. But her old woollen dress was -an especial source of anxiety to her; she had no other, and was forced -to put it on every evening when she quitted the uniform silk, and this -wore it terribly; a stain on it gave her quite a fever, the least rent -was a catastrophe. And she had nothing, not a sou, not even enough to -buy the trifling articles which a woman always wants; she had even been -obliged to wait a fortnight to renew her stock of needles and cotton. -Thus it was a real disaster when Jean, with his love affairs, suddenly -swooped down and pillaged her purse. A franc-piece taken out of it left -an abyss which she did not know how to fill up. As for finding ten -francs on the morrow it was not to be thought of for a moment. All that -night she was haunted by nightmare in which she saw Pépé thrown into -the street, whilst she turned the paving stones over with her bruised -fingers to see if there might not be some money underneath them.</p> - -<p>It happened that the next day she had to play the part of the -well-dressed girl. Some well-known customers came in, and Madame -Aurélie summoned her several times in order that she might show off -the new styles. And whilst she was posing there, with the stereotyped -graces of a fashion-plate, she thought all the time of Pépé's board and -lodging, which she had promised to pay that evening. She would contrive -to do without any boots for another month; but even on adding the -thirty francs left her of Pépé's money to the four francs which she had -saved up sou by sou, there would never be more than thirty-four francs, -and where was she to find six francs to complete the sum she required? -It was an anguish in which her heart failed her.</p> - -<p>"You will notice that the shoulders are quite free," Madame Aurélie was -saying. "It's very fashionable and very convenient. The young person -can fold her arms."</p> - -<p>"Oh! easily," replied Denise, who continued to smile amiably. "One -can't feel it. I am sure you will like it, madame."</p> - -<p>She was now blaming herself for having gone to fetch Pépé from -Madame Gras' on the previous Sunday, to take him for a walk in the -Champs-Elysées. The poor child so seldom went out with her! But she had -been obliged to buy him some gingerbread and a little spade, and then -take him to see Punch and Judy, and all that had cost twenty-nine sous. -Really Jean could not think much about the little one, or he would not -be so foolish. Everything fell upon her shoulders.</p> - -<p>"Of course, if it does not suit you, madame—" resumed the first-hand. -"Just put this other cloak on, mademoiselle, so that the lady may -judge."</p> - -<p>And Denise then walked slowly round, wearing the cloak and saying: -"This is warmer. It's this year's fashion."</p> - -<p>And beneath her professional graces she continued worrying and worrying -until the evening, at a loss as to where she might find this money. The -young ladies, who were very busy, left her an important sale; but it -was only Tuesday, and she must wait four days before drawing any cash. -After dinner she decided to postpone her visit to Madame Gras till -the morrow. She would excuse herself, say she had been detained, and -before then she would perhaps have obtained the six francs. As Denise -avoided the slightest expense, she went to bed early. What could she do -out-of-doors, penniless and wild, and still frightened by the big city -in which she only knew the streets around the shop? After venturing -as far as the Palais-Royal for the sake of a little fresh air, she -would quickly return, lock herself in her room and set about sewing or -washing.</p> - -<p>Along the corridor conducting to the bed-rooms reigned a barrack-like -promiscuity—the girls, who were often not very tidy, would gossip -there over dirty water and dirty linen, break into frequent quarrels -and patch up continual reconciliations. They were prohibited from -going up to their rooms in the day-time; they did not live there, but -merely slept there at night, climbing the stairs only at the last -minute, and coming down again in the morning when still half asleep, -hardly awakened by a rapid wash; and this hurry-skurry which night and -morning swept through the corridor, the fatigue of thirteen hours' -work which threw them all on their beds thoroughly worn out, made the -upper part of the house like an inn traversed by tired and illtempered -travellers. Denise had no friend. Of all the young ladies, one alone, -Pauline Cugnot, showed her a little affection; and the mantle and -under-clothing departments being close to one another, and in open war, -the sympathy between the two saleswomen had hitherto been confined -to a few rare words hastily exchanged. Pauline certainly occupied a -neighbouring room, to the right of Denise's; but as she disappeared -immediately after dinner and only returned at eleven o'clock, the -latter simply heard her get into bed, and never met her after business -hours.</p> - -<p>That evening, Denise had made up her mind to play the part of bootmaker -once more. She was holding her shoes, turning them about and wondering -how she could make them last another month. At last she decided to take -a strong needle and sew on the soles, which were threatening to leave -the uppers. Meantime a collar and a pair of cuffs were soaking in a -basinful of soapsuds.</p> - -<p>Every evening she heard the same sounds, the girls coming up one by -one, brief whispered conversations, bursts of laughter and sometimes -disputes which they stifled as much as possible. Then the beds creaked, -the tired occupants yawned, and fell into heavy slumber. Denise's left -hand neighbour often talked in her sleep, which at first frightened -her very much. Perhaps others, like herself, stopped up to mend their -things, in spite of the regulations; but if so they probably took the -same precautions as she did, moving with prudent care, and avoiding the -least noise, for a quivering silence prevailed behind the closed doors.</p> - -<p>It had struck eleven some ten minutes previously when a sound of -footsteps made Denise raise her head. Another young lady late, thought -she. And she realised that it was Pauline, by hearing the door next to -her own open.</p> - -<p>But she was astonished when Pauline quietly came back into the passage -and knocked at her door.</p> - -<p>"Make haste, it's me!"</p> - -<p>The saleswomen were forbidden to visit each other in their rooms, and -Denise quickly unlocked her door, in order that her neighbour might -not be caught by Madame Cabin, who was supposed to see this regulation -strictly carried out.</p> - -<p>"Was she there?" asked Denise, when the other had entered.</p> - -<p>"Who? Madame Cabin?" replied Pauline. "Oh, I'm not afraid of her, -she's easily settled with a five-franc piece!" And then she added: -"I've wanted to have a talk with you for a long time past. But it's -impossible to do so downstairs. Besides, you looked so down-hearted -to-night at table."</p> - -<p>Denise thanked her, and, touched by her good-natured air invited her -to sit down. But in the bewilderment, caused by this unexpected visit -she had not laid down the shoe she was mending, and Pauline at once -perceived it. She shook her head, looked round and espied the collar -and cuffs in the basin.</p> - -<p>"My poor child, I thought as much," resumed she. "Ah, I know what it -is! When I first came up from Chartres, and old Cugnot didn't send me a -sou, I many a time washed my own chemises! Yes, yes, my chemises! I had -only two, and there was always one in soak."</p> - -<p>She sat down, still out of breath from running. Her broad face, -with small bright eyes, and big tender mouth, possessed a certain -grace, notwithstanding its rather coarse features. And, without any -transition, all of a sudden, she began to relate her story; her -childhood at the mill; old Cugnot ruined by a law-suit; she sent to -Paris to make her fortune with twenty francs in her pocket; then her -start as a saleswoman in a shop at Batignolles, then at The Ladies' -Paradise—a terrible start, every suffering and privation imaginable; -and at last her present life, the two hundred francs she earned each -month, the pleasures she indulged in, the carelessness in which -she allowed her days to glide away. Some jewellery, a brooch, and -watch-chain, glistened on her close-fitting gown of dark-blue cloth; -and she smiled from under a velvet toque ornamented with a large grey -feather.</p> - -<p>Denise had turned very red, worried with reference to her shoe; and -began to stammer out an explanation.</p> - -<p>"But the same thing happened to me," repeated Pauline. "Come, come, I'm -older than you, I'm over twenty-six, though I don't look it. Just tell -me your little troubles."</p> - -<p>Thereupon Denise yielded to this friendship so frankly offered. She -sat down in her petticoat, with an old shawl over her shoulders, near -Pauline in full dress; and an interesting gossip ensued.</p> - -<p>It was freezing in the room, the cold seemed to run down the -bare prison-like walls; but they were so fully taken up by their -conversation that they did not notice that their fingers were almost -frost-bitten. Little by little, Denise opened her heart entirely, spoke -of Jean and Pépé, and of how grievously the money question tortured -her; which led them both to abuse the young ladies in the mantle -department. Pauline relieved her mind. "Oh, the hussies!" said she, "if -they treated you in a proper way, you might make more than a hundred -francs a month."</p> - -<p>"Everybody is down on me, and I'm sure I don't know why," answered -Denise, beginning to cry. "Look at Monsieur Bourdoncle, he's always -watching me, trying to find me in fault just as if I were in his way. -Old Jouve is about the only one——"</p> - -<p>The other interrupted her. "What, that old ape of an inspector! Ah! my -dear, don't you trust him. He may display his decoration as much as -he likes, but there's a story about something that happened to him in -our department. But what a child you are to grieve like this! What a -misfortune it is to be so sensitive! Of course, what is happening to -you happens to every one; they are making you pay your footing."</p> - -<p>Then carried away by her good heart she caught hold of Denise's hands -and kissed her. The money-question was a graver one. Certainly a poor -girl could not support her two brothers, pay the little one's board -and lodging, and stand treat for the big one's sweethearts with the -few paltry sous she picked up from the others' cast-off customers; for -it was to be feared that she would not get any salary until business -improved in March.</p> - -<p>"Listen to me, it's impossible for you to live in this way any longer. -If I were you——" said Pauline.</p> - -<p>But a noise in the corridor stopped her. It was probably Marguerite, -who was accused of prowling about at night to spy upon the others. -Pauline, who was still pressing her friend's hand, looked at her for -a moment in silence, listening. Then, with an air of affectionate -conviction, she began to whisper to her.</p> - -<p>Denise did not understand at first, and when she did, she withdrew her -hands, looking very confused by what her friend had told her. "Oh! no," -she replied simply.</p> - -<p>"Then," continued Pauline, "you'll never manage, I tell you so, -plainly. Here are the figures: forty francs for the little one, a -five-franc piece now and again for the big one; and then there's -yourself, you can't always go about dressed like a pauper, with shoes -that make the other girls laugh at you; yes, really, your shoes do you -a deal of harm. It would be much better to do as I tell you."</p> - -<p>"No, no," repeated Denise.</p> - -<p>"Well! you are very foolish. It's inevitable, my dear, we all come to -it sooner or later. Look at me, I was a probationer, like you, without -a sou. We are boarded and lodged, it's true; but there's our dress; -besides, it's impossible to go without a copper in one's pocket and -shut oneself up in one's room, watching the flies. So you see girls -forcibly drift into it."</p> - -<p>She then spoke of her first admirer, a lawyer's clerk whom she had -met at a party at Meudon. After him, had come a post-office clerk. -And, finally, ever since the autumn, she had been keeping company with -a salesman at the Bon Marché, a very nice tall fellow. However, her -advice had no effect whatever upon Denise.</p> - -<p>"No," the latter replied in a tone of decision; and a fresh silence -fell. In the small cold room they were smiling at each other, greatly -affected by this whispered conversation. "Besides, one must have -affection for some one," she resumed, her cheeks quite scarlet.</p> - -<p>Pauline was astonished. She set up a laugh, and embraced her a second -time exclaiming: "But, my darling, when you meet and like each other! -You are really droll! Look here, would you like Baugé to take us -somewhere in the country on Sunday? He'll bring one of his friends."</p> - -<p>"No," again said Denise in her gently obstinate way.</p> - -<p>Then Pauline insisted no further. Each was free to act as she pleased. -What she had said was out of pure kindness of heart, for she felt -really grieved to see a comrade so miserable. And as it was nearly -midnight, she got up to leave. But before doing so she forced Denise to -accept the six francs she wanted to make up Pépé's board-money, begging -her not to trouble about the matter, but to repay her the amount -whenever she earned more.</p> - -<p>"Now," she added, "blow your candle out, so that they may not see which -door opens; you can light it again immediately afterwards."</p> - -<p>The candle having been extinguished, they shook hands; and then Pauline -ran off to her room, giving no sign of her passage through the darkness -save the vague rustling of her petticoats amidst the deep slumber that -had fallen on the occupants of the other little rooms.</p> - -<p>Before going to bed Denise wished to finish her boot and do her -washing. The cold became sharper still as the night advanced; but -she did not feel it, the conversation had stirred her heart's blood. -She was not shocked; it seemed to her that every woman had a right -to arrange her life as she liked, when she was alone and free in the -world. For her own part, however, she had never given way to such -ideas; her sense of right and her healthy nature naturally maintained -her in the respectability in which she had always lived. At last, -towards one o'clock she went to bed. No, she thought, she did not -love any one. So what was the use of upsetting her life, the maternal -devotion which she had vowed for her two brothers? However, she did not -sleep; insomnia gained upon her and a crowd of indistinct forms flitted -before her closed eyes, then vanished in the darkness.</p> - -<p>From that time forward Denise took an interest in the love-stories of -the department. During slack times the girls were constantly occupied -with their amatory affairs. Gossiping tales flew about, stories of -adventures which amused them all for a week. Clara was a scandal and -merely remained at the shop under pretence of leading a respectable -life in order to shield herself from her family; for she was mortally -afraid of old Prunaire, who had threatened to come to Paris and -break her arms and legs with his clogs. Marguerite, on the contrary, -behaved very well, and was not known to have any lover; which caused -some surprise, for all knew of the circumstances which had led to her -arrival in Paris. The young women also joked about Madame Frédéric, -declaring that she was discreetly connected with certain great -personages; but the truth was they knew nothing of her love-affairs; -for she disappeared every evening, stiff as starch with her widow's -sulkiness, and apparently always in a great hurry, though nobody -knew whither she hastened so eagerly. As for the tittle-tattle about -Madame Aurélie this was certainly false; mere invention, spread abroad -by discontented saleswomen just for fun. Perhaps she had formerly -displayed rather more than a motherly feeling for one of her son's -friends, but she now occupied too high a position in the business to -indulge in such childishness. Then there was the flock, the crowd of -the girls going off in the evening, nine out of every ten having young -men waiting for them at the door. On the Place Gaillon, along the Rue -de la Michodière, and the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, there was always a -troop of motionless sentries watching for the girls' departure; and, -when the <i>défilé</i> began, each gave his arm to his lady and walked -away. It was like the stage-door exit of some theatre where figurantes -predominate.</p> - -<p>What most troubled Denise, however, was that she had discovered -Colomban's secret. He was continually to be seen on the other side of -the street, on the threshold of The Old Elbeuf, his eyes raised and -never quitting the young ladies of the jacket and mantle department. -When he espied Denise watching him he blushed and turned away his head, -as if afraid that she might betray him to Geneviève, although there -had been no further connection between the Baudus and their niece -since her engagement at The Ladies' Paradise. At first, on seeing his -despairing airs, she had fancied that he was in love with Marguerite, -for Marguerite, being very well-conducted, and sleeping in the house, -was not easy to approach. But great was her astonishment to find that -Colomban's ardent glances were intended for Clara. For months past he -had been devoured by passion in this way, remaining on the other side -of the street and lacking the courage to declare himself; and this for -a girl who was perfectly free, who lived in the Rue Louis-le-Grand, -and whom he could have spoken to any evening! Clara herself appeared -to have no idea of her conquest. Denise's discovery filled her with -painful emotion. Was love so idiotic then? What! this fellow, who had -real happiness within his reach, was ruining his life for the sake of -that good-for-nothing girl whom he adored as reverently as if she had -been a saint! From that day forward she felt a heart pang each time she -espied Geneviève's pale suffering face behind the greeny panes of The -Old Elbeuf.</p> - -<p>In the evening, Denise could not help thinking a great deal, on seeing -the young ladies march off with their sweethearts. She was sometimes -obliged to reply by a smile to a friendly nod from Pauline, for whom -Baugé waited regularly every evening at half-past eight, beside the -fountain on the Place Gaillon. Then, after going out the last and -taking a furtive walk, always alone, she was invariably the first -to return, going upstairs to work, or to sleep, her head full of -dreams, inquisitive as to the outdoor life of the others, of which she -knew nothing. She certainly did not envy them, she was happy in her -solitude, in the unsociableness in which she shut herself up, as in a -hiding-place; but all the same her imagination carried her away, she -would try to guess things, picture the pleasures constantly described -before her, the cafés, the restaurants, the theatres, the Sundays spent -on the river and in the country taverns. Quite a weariness of mind, a -desire mingled with lassitude resulted from these imaginings; and she -seemed to have already had her fill of amusements which she had never -tasted.</p> - -<p>However, there was but little room for dangerous dreams in her daily -working life. During the thirteen hours of hard toil in the shop, -there was no time for any display of affection between the salesmen -and the saleswomen. If the continual fight for money had not abolished -all sexual difference, the unceasing press of business which occupied -their minds and fatigued their bodies would have sufficed to stifle -desire. But very few love-affairs had been known in the establishment -amidst the various hostilities and friendships between the men and -the women, the constant elbowing from department to department. They -were all nothing but pieces of mechanism forced to contribute of the -working of the immense machine, abdicating all individuality and simply -contributing their strength to the total, commonplace, phalansterian -power. It was only outside the shop that they resumed their individual -lives, with a sudden flaming of awakened passion.</p> - -<p>Denise, however, one day saw Albert Lhomme slip a note into the hand -of a young lady in the under-clothing department, after several times -passing by with an air of indifference. The dead season, which lasts -from December to February, was commencing; and she now had periods of -rest, hours spent on her feet with her eyes wandering all over the -shop whilst waiting for customers. The young ladies of her department -were especially friendly with the salesmen who served the lace, but -their intimacy never seemed to go any further than whispered banter. -In the lace department there was a second-hand, a gay young spark who -pursued Clara with all sorts of suggestive stories, simply by way of -a joke—for he really cared so little for her that he made no effort -to meet her out of doors; and thus it was from counter to counter, the -gentlemen and the young ladies would exchange winks, nods, and remarks, -which they alone understood. At times with their backs half turned and -a dreamy look on their faces in order to put the terrible Bourdoncle -off the scent, they would indulge in some sly gossip. As for Deloche, -he long contented himself with smiling at Denise when he met her; but, -getting bolder, he at last occasionally murmured a friendly word. On -the day she had noticed Madame Aurélie's son giving a note to the young -lady in the under-linen department, it precisely happened that Deloche -was asking her if she had enjoyed her lunch, feeling a desire to say -something, and unable to think of anything more amiable. He also saw -the billet pass; and as he glanced at the young girl, they both blushed -at thought of this intrigue carried on under their eyes.</p> - -<p>But despite all these occurrences which gradually awoke the woman in -her, Denise still retained her infantile peace of mind. The one thing -that stirred her heart was to meet Hutin. But even this was only -gratitude in her eyes; she simply thought herself touched by the young -man's politeness. He could not bring a customer to the department -without making her feel quite confused. Several times, on returning -from a pay-desk, she found herself making a <i>détour</i>, and traversing -the silk hall though she had no business there, her bosom heaving the -while with emotion. One afternoon she met Mouret there and he seemed -to follow her with a smile. He paid scarcely any attention to her now, -only addressing a few words to her from time to time, to give her a few -hints about her toilet, and to joke with her, as an impossible girl, a -little savage, almost a boy, whom he would never manage to transform -into a coquette, notwithstanding all his knowledge of women. Sometimes -indeed he even ventured to laugh at her and tease her, without caring -to acknowledge to himself the troublous feeling, the charm which this -little saleswoman, with such a comical head of hair, inspired in -him. And that afternoon at sight of his mute smile, Denise trembled, -as if she were in fault. Did he know why she was crossing the silk -department, when she could not herself have explained what had impelled -her to make such a <i>détour</i>?</p> - -<p>Hutin, moreover, did not seem to be at all aware of the young girl's -grateful looks. The shop-girls were not his style, he affected to -despise them, boasting more than ever of his pretended adventures with -the lady customers.</p> - -<p>One day a baroness had beamed on him, he would relate, and on another -occasion he had fascinated the wife of an eminent architect. But as -a matter of fact his only conquests were among girls at cafés and -music-halls. Like all young men in the drapery line, he had a mania for -spending, battling throughout the week with a miser's greediness, with -the sole object of squandering his money on Sundays on the race-courses -or in the restaurants and dancing-saloons. He never thought of saving -a penny, but spent his salary as soon as he drew it, absolutely -indifferent about the future. Favier did not join him in these pleasure -parties. Hutin and he, so friendly in the shop, bowed to each other -at the door, where all further intercourse between them ceased. A -great many of the shopmen, always side by side indoors, became perfect -strangers, ignorant of each other's lives, as soon as they set foot in -the streets. However, Hutin, had an intimate—Liénard of the woollen -department. Both lived in the same lodging-house, the Hôtel de Smyrne, -in the Rue Sainte-Anne, a murky building entirely inhabited by shop -assistants. In the morning they arrived at the Paradise together; and -in the evening, the first who found himself free, after the folding -was done, waited for the other at the Café Saint-Roch, in the Rue -Saint-Roch, a little place where many employees of The Ladies' Paradise -met, brawling, drinking, and playing cards amidst the smoke of their -pipes. They often stopped there till one in the morning, until indeed -the tired landlord turned them out. For the last month, however, -they had been spending three evenings a week at a free-and-easy at -Montmartre; whither they would take their friends in order to fan the -success of Mademoiselle Laure, a music-hall singer, Hutin's latest -conquest, whose talent they applauded with such violent rapping of -their walking-sticks and such clamorous shouts that on two occasions -the police had been obliged to interfere.</p> - -<p>The winter passed in this way, and at last Denise obtained a fixed -salary of three hundred francs a-year. It was quite time she did so for -her shoes were completely worn out. For the last month she had avoided -going out, for fear of bursting them altogether.</p> - -<p>"What a noise you make with your shoes, mademoiselle!" Madame Aurélie -very often remarked, with an irritated look. "It's intolerable. What's -the matter with your feet?"</p> - -<p>On the day when Denise came down wearing a pair of cloth boots, -which had cost her five francs, Marguerite and Clara expressed their -astonishment in a kind of half whisper, so as to be heard. "Hullo! the -unkempt one, has given up her goloshes," said the former.</p> - -<p>"Ah," retorted the other, "she must have cried over them. They were her -mother's."</p> - -<p>In point of fact, there was a general uprising against Denise. The -girls of her department had discovered her friendship with Pauline, and -thought they detected a certain bravado in this display of affection -for a saleswoman of a rival counter. They spoke of treason, accused her -of going and repeating their slightest words to their enemies. The war -between the two departments became more violent than ever, it had never -waxed so warm; angry words were exchanged like cannon shots, and a slap -even was given one evening behind some boxes of chemises. Possibly this -long-standing quarrel arose from the fact that the young ladies in the -under-linen department wore woollen gowns, whilst those of the mantles -wore silk. In any case, the former spoke of their neighbours with the -shocked air of respectable women; and facts proved that they were -right, for it had been remarked that the silk dresses appeared to lead -to dissolute habits among the young ladies who wore them. Clara was -taunted with her troop of lovers; even Marguerite had her child thrown -in her teeth, as it were; whilst Madame Frédéric was accused of all -sorts of secret passions. And all this solely on account of Denise!</p> - -<p>"Now, young ladies, no ugly words; behave yourselves!" Madame Aurélie -would say with her imperial air, amidst the rising passions of her -little kingdom. "Show who you are."</p> - -<p>At heart she preferred to remain neutral. As she confessed one day, -when talking to Mouret, these girls were all about the same, one was -no better than another. But she suddenly became impassioned when she -learnt from Bourdoncle that he had just caught her son downstairs -kissing a young girl belonging to the under-linen department, the -saleswoman to whom he had passed several letters. It was abominable, -and she roundly accused the under-linen department of having laid a -trap for Albert. Yes, it was a got-up affair against herself, they -were trying to dishonour her by ruining an inexperienced boy, after -finding it impossible to attack her department. Her only object however -in making such a noise was to complicate the business, for she was -well aware of her son's character and knew him to be capable of all -sorts of stupid things. For a time the matter threatened to assume a -serious aspect; Mignot, the glove salesman, was mixed up in it. He -was a great friend of Albert's, and the rumour circulated that he -favoured the girls whom Albert sent him and who rummaged in his boxes -for hours together. There was also a story about some Suède kid gloves -given to the saleswoman of the under-linen department, which was never -properly cleared up. At last the scandal was stifled out of regard for -Madame Aurélie, whom Mouret himself treated with deference. Bourdoncle -contented himself a week later with dismissing, for some slight -offence, the girl who had allowed herself to be kissed. At all events -if the managers closed their eyes to the terrible doings of their -employees out of doors, they did not tolerate the least nonsense in the -house.</p> - -<p>And it was Denise who suffered for all this. Madame Aurélie, although -perfectly well aware of what was going on, nourished a secret rancour -against her; and seeing her laughing one evening with Pauline she also -took it for bravado, concluding that they were gossiping over her son's -love-affairs. And she thereupon sought to increase the girl's isolation -in the department. For some time she had been thinking of inviting the -young ladies to spend a Sunday at Les Rigolles near Rambouillet where -she had bought a country house with the first hundred thousand francs -she had saved; and she suddenly decided to do so; it would be a means -of punishing Denise, of putting her openly on one side. She was the -only one not invited. For a fortnight in advance, nothing was talked of -but this pleasure party; the girls kept their eyes on the sky already -warmed by the May sunshine, and mapped out the whole day, looking -forward to all sorts of pleasures: donkey-riding, milk and brown bread. -And they were to be all women, which was more amusing still! As a rule, -Madame Aurélie killed her holidays like this, in going out with lady -friends; for she was so little accustomed to being at home, she always -felt so uncomfortable, so out of her element on the rare occasions -when she could dine with her husband and son, that she preferred -even not to avail herself of the opportunity but to go and dine at a -restaurant. Lhomme went his own way, enraptured to resume his bachelor -existence, and Albert, greatly relieved, hastened off to his beauties; -so that, unaccustomed to home-life, feeling they were in each other's -way, bored to death whenever they were together on a Sunday, they paid -nothing more than flying visits to the house, as to some common hotel -where people take a bed for the night. With respect to the excursion -to Rambouillet, Madame Aurélie simply declared that considerations of -propriety would not allow Albert to join them, and that the father -himself would display great tact by refusing to come; a declaration -which enchanted both men. However, the happy day was drawing near, and -the girls chattered away more than ever, relating their preparations -in the way of dress, just as if they were going on a six months' tour, -whilst Denise had to listen to them, pale and silent in her abandonment.</p> - -<p>"Ah, they make you wild, don't they?" said Pauline to her one morning. -"If I were you I would just catch them nicely! They are going to enjoy -themselves. I would enjoy myself too. Come with us on Sunday, Baugé is -going to take me to Joinville."</p> - -<p>"No, thanks," said the girl with her quiet obstinacy.</p> - -<p>"But why not? Are you still afraid of being made love to?"</p> - -<p>And thereupon Pauline laughed heartily. Denise also smiled. She -knew how such things came about; it was always during some similar -excursions that the young ladies had made the acquaintance of their -lovers.</p> - -<p>"Come," resumed Pauline, "I assure you that Baugé won't bring any one. -We shall be all by ourselves. As you don't want me to, I won't go and -marry you off, of course."</p> - -<p>Denise hesitated, tormented by such a strong desire to go that the -blood rushed to her cheeks. Since the girls had been talking about -their country pleasures she had felt stifled, overcome by a longing -for fresh air, dreaming of tall grass into which she might sink to the -neck, and of giant trees whose shadows would flow over her like so -much cooling water. Her childhood, spent amidst the rich verdure of Le -Cotentin, was awakening with a regret for sun and air.</p> - -<p>"Well! yes," said she at last.</p> - -<p>Then everything was soon arranged. Baugé was to come and fetch them at -eight o'clock, on the Place Gaillon; whence they would take a cab to -the Vincennes Station. Denise, whose twenty-five francs a month was -quickly exhausted by the children, had only been able to do up her old -black woollen dress by trimming it with some strips of check poplin; -but she had made herself a bonnet, by covering a shape with some silk -and ornamenting it with blue ribbon. In this quiet attire she looked -very young, like an overgrown girl, displaying all the cleanliness -of careful poverty, and somewhat shamefaced, and embarrassed by her -luxuriant hair, which waved round the bareness of her bonnet. Pauline, -on the contrary, displayed a pretty spring costume in silk, striped -white and violet, a feathered bonnet, with bows matching the dress, -and jewels about her neck and rings on her fingers, which gave her -the appearance of a well-to-do tradesman's wife. It was like a Sunday -revenge on the woollen gown which she was obliged to wear throughout -the week in the shop; whereas Denise, who wore her uniform silk from -Monday to Saturday, resumed, on Sundays, her thin woollen dress of -poverty-stricken aspect.</p> - -<p>"There's Baugé," said Pauline, pointing to a tall young man standing -near the fountain.</p> - -<p>And thereupon she introduced her lover, and Denise felt at her ease -at once, he seemed such a nice fellow. Big, and strong as an ox, with -a long Flemish face, in which his expressionless eyes twinkled with -infantile puerility, Baugé was the younger son of a grocer of Dunkerque -and had come to Paris, almost driven from home by his father and -brother, who thought him a fearful dunce. However, he now made three -thousand five hundred francs a year at the Bon Marché. Certainly in -some things he was rather stupid, but he proved a very good hand in the -linen department.</p> - -<p>"And the cab?" asked Pauline.</p> - -<p>They had to go on foot as far as the Boulevard. The sun was already -warming the streets and the glorious May morning seemed to be smiling -on the pavements. There was not a cloud in the sky; all was gay in the -blue air, transparent as crystal. An involuntary smile played about -Denise's lips; she breathed freely; it seemed to her that her bosom -was throwing off a stifling fit of six months duration. At last she no -longer felt the stuffy air and the heavy stones of The Ladies' Paradise -weighing her down! She had the prospect of a long day in the country -before her! and it was like a new lease of life, an infinite delight, -into which she entered with all the glee of a little child. However, -when they were in the cab, she turned her eyes away, feeling ill at -ease as Pauline bent over to kiss her lover.</p> - -<p>"Oh, look!" said she, her head still at the window, "there's Monsieur -Lhomme. How he does walk!"</p> - -<p>"He's got his French horn," added Pauline, leaning out. "What an old -fool he is! One would think he was running off to meet his girl!"</p> - -<p>Lhomme, with his nose in the air, and his instrument under his arm, -was spinning along past the Gymnase Theatre, laughing with delight at -the thought of the treat in store for him. He was about to spend the -day with a friend, a flautist at a petty theatre, in whose rooms a -few amateurs indulged in a little chamber-music on Sundays as soon as -breakfast was over.</p> - -<p>"At eight o'clock! what a madman!" resumed Pauline. "And you know that -Madame Aurélie and her clique must have taken the Rambouillet train -that left at half-past six. It's very certain the husband and wife -won't come across each other to-day."</p> - -<p>Both then began talking of the Rambouillet excursion. They did not -wish it to be rainy for the others, because they themselves might -suffer as well; still, if a cloud could only burst over there without -a drop falling at Joinville, it would be funny all the same. Then they -attacked Clara, who hardly knew how to spend the money she made by her -vices. Hadn't she bought three pairs of boots all at the same time, and -thrown them away the next day, after slashing them with her scissors, -on account of her feet, which were covered with corns? In fact, the -young ladies were just as bad as the young men, they squandered -everything, never saving a sou, but wasting two or three hundred francs -a month on dress and dainties.</p> - -<p>"But he's only got one arm," all of a sudden said Baugé, who had kept -his eyes on Lhomme. "How does he manage to play the French horn?"</p> - -<p>Pauline, who sometimes amused herself by playing on her lover's -stupidity, thereupon told him that the cashier kept the instrument up -by leaning it against a wall. He thoroughly believed her, and thought -it very ingenious. And when, stricken with remorse, she explained to -him that Lhomme had adapted to his stump a system of claws which he -made use of as fingers, he shook his head, full of doubt and declaring -that they wouldn't make him swallow that.</p> - -<p>"You are really too stupid!" she retorted, laughing. "Never mind, I -love you all the same."</p> - -<p>They reached the station of the Vincennes line just in time for a -train. Baugé paid; but Denise had previously declared that she wished -to defray her share of the expenses; they would settle up in the -evening. They took second-class tickets, and found the train full -of a gay, noisy throng. At Nogent, a wedding-party got out, amidst -a storm of laughter. Then, at last they arrived at Joinville, and -went straight to the island to order lunch; and afterwards lingered -there, strolling along, under the tall poplars beside the Marne. -It was rather cold in the shade, a sharp breeze was blowing in the -sunshine, gathering strength as it swept from the distance over a -plain dotted with cultivated fields, on the other side of the river. -Denise lingered behind Pauline and her lover, who walked along with -their arms round each other's waists. She had picked a handful of -buttercups, and was watching the flow of the river, happy, but her -heart beating and her head drooping, each time that Baugé leant over -to kiss his sweetheart. Her eyes filled with tears. And yet she was -not suffering. What could be the matter with her that she experienced -this feeling of suffocation? Why did this vast landscape, amidst which -she had looked forward to so much enjoyment, fill her with a vague -regret that she could not explain? However, at lunch, Pauline's noisy -laughter bewildered her. That young woman, who loved the suburbs -with the passion of an actress living in the gas-light, in the heavy -atmosphere of a crowd, wanted to lunch in an arbour, notwithstanding -the sharp wind. She made merry over the sudden gusts which blew up the -table-cloth, and thought the arbour very funny in its bareness, with -its freshly-painted trellis-work which cast a reflection on the cloth. -She ate ravenously, devouring everything with the voracity of one who, -being badly fed at the shop, made up for it out of doors by giving -herself an indigestion of all the things she liked. This was indeed her -vice, she spent most of her money on cakes and indigestible dainties, -tit-bits of all kinds, which she hastily nibbled in leisure moments. -Now, however, as Denise seemed to have had enough with the eggs, fried -fish, and stewed chicken, she restrained herself, not daring to order -any strawberries which were still very dear, for fear of running the -bill up too high.</p> - -<p>"Now, what are we going to do?" asked Baugé, when the coffee was served.</p> - -<p>As a rule Pauline and he returned to Paris to dine, and finish their -outing in some theatre. But at Denise's request, they decided to -remain at Joinville all day: it would be droll, they would take a fill -of the country. So they wandered about the fields all the afternoon. -They spoke for a moment of going for a row, but abandoned the idea -as Baugé was not a good waterman. However, their strolls along the -pathways ended by bringing them back to the banks of the Marne, all -the same, and they became interested in all the river life, the -squadrons of yawls and skiffs, and the young men who formed the crews. -The sun was setting and they were returning towards Joinville, when -they saw two boats coming down stream at a racing speed, their crews -meantime exchanging volleys of insults, in which the repeated cries of -"Sawbones!" and "Counter-jumpers!" predominated.</p> - -<p>"Hallo!" said Pauline, "it's Monsieur Hutin."</p> - -<p>"Yes," replied Baugé, shading his face with his hand, "I recognise his -mahogany boat. The other one is manned by students, no doubt."</p> - -<p>Thereupon he explained the deadly hatred existing between the students -and the shopmen. Denise, on hearing Hutin's name mentioned, had -suddenly stopped, and with fixed eyes followed the frail skiff. She -tried to distinguish the young man among the rowers, but could only -manage to make out the white dresses of two women, one of whom, who was -steering, wore a red hat. Then the voices of the disputants died away -amidst the loud flow of the river.</p> - -<p>"Pitch 'em in, the sawbones!"</p> - -<p>"Duck 'em, the counter-jumpers!"</p> - -<p>In the evening they returned to the restaurant on the island. But it -had turned very chilly and they were obliged to dine in one of the -closed rooms, where the table-cloths were still damp from the humidity -of winter. At six o'clock the tables were already crowded, yet the -excursionists still hurried in, looking for vacant corners; and the -waiters continued bringing in more chairs and forms, putting the plates -closer and closer together and crowding the people up. Cold as it had -been before, the atmosphere now became stifling and they had to open -the windows. Out of doors, the day was waning, a greenish twilight fell -from the poplars so quickly that the landlord, unprepared for these -repasts under cover, and having no lamps, was obliged to put a candle -on each table. What with the laughter, the calls and the clatter of -plates and dishes the uproar became deafening; the candles flared and -guttered in the draught from the open windows, whilst moths fluttered -about in the air warmed by the odour of the food, and traversed by -sudden cold gusts of wind.</p> - -<p>"What fun they're having, eh?" said Pauline, very busy with a plate of -stewed eels, which she declared extraordinary. And she leant over to -add: "Didn't you see Monsieur Albert over there?"</p> - -<p>It was really young Lhomme, in the midst of three questionable women. -Already intoxicated, he was knocking his glass on the table, and -talking of drubbing the waiter if he did not bring some <i>liqueurs</i> -immediately.</p> - -<p>"Well!" resumed Pauline, "there's a family for you! the mother is at -Rambouillet, the father in Paris, and the son at Joinville; they won't -tread on one another's toes to-day!"</p> - -<p>Denise, though she detested noise, was smiling and tasting the delight -of being unable to think, amid such uproar. But all at once they heard -a commotion in the other room, a burst of voices which drowned all -others. Men were yelling, and must have come to blows, for one could -hear a scuffle, chairs falling, quite a struggle indeed, amid which the -river-cries again resounded:</p> - -<p>"Duck 'em, the counter-jumpers!"</p> - -<p>"Pitch 'em in, the sawbones!"</p> - -<p>And when the landlord's loud voice had calmed this tempest, Hutin, -wearing a red jersey, and with a little cap at the back of his head, -suddenly made his appearance, having on his arm the tall, fair girl, -who had been steering his boat and who by way of wearing the crew's -colours, had planted a bunch of poppies behind her ear. Clamorous -applause greeted their entry; and Hutin, his face beaming with pride -at thus being remarked, threw his chest forward and assumed a nautical -rolling gait, displaying the while a bruised cheek, quite blue from a -blow he had received. Behind him and his companion followed the crew. -They took a table by storm, and the uproar became deafening.</p> - -<p>"It appears," explained Baugé, after listening to the conversation -behind him, "it appears that the students recognised the woman with -Hutin as an old friend from their neighbourhood, who now sings in a -music-hall at Montmartre. So they were kicking up a row about her."</p> - -<p>"In any case," said Pauline, stiffly, "she's precious ugly, with her -carroty hair. Really, I don't know where Monsieur Hutin picks them up, -but they're an ugly, dirty lot."</p> - -<p>Denise had turned pale, and felt an icy coldness, as if her heart's -blood were flowing away, drop by drop. Already, on seeing the boats -from the bank she had felt a shiver; but now she no longer had any -doubt at seeing that girl with Hutin. With trembling hands, and a -choking sensation in her throat, she suddenly ceased to eat.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter?" asked her friend.</p> - -<p>"Nothing," she stammered, "but it's rather warm here."</p> - -<p>However Hutin's table was close to theirs, and when Hutin perceived -Baugé, whom he knew, he commenced a conversation in a shrill voice, in -order to attract further attention.</p> - -<p>"I say," he cried, "are you as virtuous as ever at the Bon Marché?"</p> - -<p>"Not so much as all that," replied Baugé, turning very red.</p> - -<p>"That won't do! You know there's a confessional box at your place for -the salesmen who venture to look at the young ladies there. No, no! A -house where they insist on their employees marrying, that won't do for -me!"</p> - -<p>The other fellows began to laugh, and Liénard who was one of Hutin's -crew added some jocular remark about the Louvre establishment at which -Pauline herself burst into a merry peal.</p> - -<p>Baugé, however, was annoyed by the joke about the staid propriety and -innocence of his establishment, and all at once he retorted: "Oh, you -needn't talk, you are not so well off at The Ladies' Paradise. Sacked -for the slightest thing! And a governor too who is always smirking -round his lady customers."</p> - -<p>Hutin no longer listened to him, but began to praise the Place Clichy -establishment. He knew a girl there who was so inexpressibly dignified -that customers dared not speak to her for fear of humiliating her. -Then, drawing up closer, he related that he had made a hundred and -fifteen francs that week; oh! a capital week. Favier had been left -behind with merely fifty-two francs, in fact the whole lot had been -floored. And it could be seen that he was telling the truth. He was -squandering his cash as fast as possible and did not mean to go to bed -till he had rid himself of the hundred and fifteen francs. Then, as he -gradually became intoxicated, he fell foul of Robineau, that fool of a -second-hand who affected to keep himself apart, to such a point that he -refused to walk down the street with one of his salesmen.</p> - -<p>"Shut up," said Liénard; "you talk too much, old man."</p> - -<p>The heat had yet increased, the candles were guttering down on to the -wine-stained table-cloths; and through the open windows, whenever the -noise within ceased for an instant, there came a distant prolonged -murmur, the voice of the river, and of the lofty poplars falling asleep -in the calm night. Baugé had just called for the bill, seeing that -Denise was no better; indeed she was now quite white, choking from the -tears she withheld; however, the waiter did not appear, and she had to -submit to more of Hutin's loud talk. He was now boasting of being much -superior to Liénard, because Liénard simply squandered his father's -money, whereas he, Hutin, spent his own earnings, the fruit of his -intelligence. At last Baugé paid, and the two girls went out.</p> - -<p>Denise heaved a sigh of relief. For a moment she had thought she was -going to die in that suffocating heat, amidst all those cries; and she -still attributed her faintness to want of air. At present she could -breathe freely in the freshness of the starry night.</p> - -<p>As the two young women were leaving the garden of the restaurant, a -timid voice murmured in the shade: "Good evening, ladies."</p> - -<p>It was Deloche. They had not seen him at the further end of the front -room, where he had been dining alone, after coming from Paris on foot, -for the pleasure of the walk. On recognising his friendly voice, -Denise, suffering as she was, yielded mechanically to the need of some -support.</p> - -<p>"Monsieur Deloche," said she, "are you coming back with us? Give me -your arm."</p> - -<p>Pauline and Baugé had already gone on in front. They were astonished, -never thinking it would turn out like that, and with that fellow above -all. However, as there was still an hour before the train started, -they went to the end of the island, following the bank, under the tall -poplars; and, from time to time, they turned round, murmuring: "But -where have they got to? Ah, there they are. It's rather funny, all the -same."</p> - -<p>At first Denise and Deloche remained silent. The uproar from the -restaurant was slowly dying away, changing into a musical sweetness -in the calmness of the night; and still feverish from that furnace, -whose lights were disappearing one by one behind the foliage, they -went further in amidst the coolness of the trees. Opposite them there -was a sort of shadowy wall, a mass of shadow so dense that they could -not even distinguish any trace of the path. However, they went forward -quietly, without fear. Then, their eyes getting more accustomed to the -darkness, they saw on the right hand the trunks of the poplar trees, -resembling sombre columns upholding the domes of their branches, -between which gleamed the stars; whilst the water occasionally shone -like a mirror. The wind was falling and they no longer heard anything -but the loud flow of the stream.</p> - -<p>"I am very pleased to have met you," stammered Deloche at last, making -up his mind to speak first. "You can't think how happy you render me in -consenting to walk with me."</p> - -<p>And, aided by the darkness, after many awkward attempts, he ventured to -tell her that he loved her. He had long wanted to write to her and tell -her so; but perhaps she would never have known it had it not been for -that lovely night coming to his assistance, that water which murmured -so softly, and those trees which screened them with their shade. -However, she did not reply; she continued to walk by his side with the -same suffering air. And he was trying to gaze into her face, when all -at once he heard a sob.</p> - -<p>"Oh! good heavens!" he exclaimed, "you are crying, mademoiselle, you -are crying! Have I offended you?"</p> - -<p>"No, no," she murmured.</p> - -<p>She strove to keep back her tears, but could not do so. Even whilst she -was at table, she had thought that her heart was about to burst. And -now in the darkness she surrendered herself to her sensibility, stifled -by her sobs and thinking that if Hutin had been in Deloche's place and -had said such tender things to her, she would have been unable to say -nay. But this self-confession suddenly filled her with confusion, and a -burning flush of shame suffused her face.</p> - -<p>"I didn't mean to offend you," continued Deloche, almost crying also.</p> - -<p>"No, but listen," she replied, her voice still trembling; "I am not at -all angry with you. But never speak to me again as you have just done. -Oh! you're a good fellow, and I'm quite willing to be your friend, but -nothing more. You understand—your friend."</p> - -<p>He quivered, and after a few steps taken in silence, he stammered: "In -fact, you don't love me?"</p> - -<p>And then as she spared him the pain of a brutal "no," he resumed in a -soft, heart-broken voice: "Oh, I was prepared for it. I have never had -any luck, I know I can never be happy. At home, they used to beat me. -In Paris, I've always been a drudge. You see, when a chap doesn't know -how to rob other fellows of their sweethearts, and is too awkward to -earn as much as the others, why the best thing he can do is to go into -some corner and die. Never fear, I shan't torment you any more. As for -loving you, you can't prevent me, can you? I shall love you like a dog. -There, everything escapes me, that's my luck in life."</p> - -<p>And then he, too, burst into tears. She tried to console him, and in -their friendly effusion they found they belonged to the same part -of the country—she to Valognes, he to Briquebec, eight miles from -each other, and this proved a fresh tie. His father, a poor, needy -process-server, sickly jealous, had been wont to drub him, exasperated -by his long pale face and tow-like hair, which, said he, did not belong -to the family. Then they got to talking of the vast Cotentin pastures, -surrounded with quick-set hedges, of the shady paths and lanes winding -beneath elm trees, and of the grass grown roads, like alleys in a park. -Around them the night was yet paling and they could distinguish the -rushes on the banks, and the lacework of the foliage, black against the -twinkling stars; and a peacefulness came over them, they forgot their -troubles, brought closer together, to a cordial feeling of friendship, -by their ill-luck.</p> - -<p>"Well?" asked Pauline of Denise, taking her aside when they reached the -station.</p> - -<p>The young girl, who understood her friend's meaning by her smile and -stare of tender curiosity, turned very red and answered: "Oh! no, -my dear. Remember what I told you. But he belongs to my part of the -country. We were talking about Valognes."</p> - -<p>Pauline and Baugé were perplexed, put out in their ideas, not knowing -what to think. Deloche left them on the Place de la Bastille; like -all young probationers, he slept in the house, and had to be back by -eleven o'clock. Not wishing to go in with him, Denise, who had obtained -what was called "theatre leave" which allowed her to remain out till -past midnight, accepted Baugé's invitation to accompany Pauline to his -home in the Rue Saint-Roch. They took a cab, and on the way Denise was -stupefied to learn that her friend would not return to The Paradise -till the morrow, having squared matters with Madame Cabin by giving -her a five-franc piece. Baugé, who did the honours of his room, which -was furnished with some old Empire furniture, given him by his father, -got angry when Denise spoke of settling up, but at last accepted the -fifteen francs twelve sous which she had laid on the chest of drawers; -however, he insisted on making her a cup of tea, and after struggling -with a spirit-lamp and saucepan, was obliged to go and fetch some -sugar. Midnight struck as he was pouring out the tea.</p> - -<p>"I must be off," said Denise.</p> - -<p>"Presently," replied Pauline. "The theatres don't close so early."</p> - -<p>Denise however felt uncomfortable in that bachelor's room and a quarter -of an hour later she contrived to slip away.</p> - -<p>The private door which conducted to Mouret's apartments and to the -assistants' bedrooms was in the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin. Madame Cabin -opened it by pulling a string and then gave a glance in order to see -who was returning. A night-light was burning dimly in the hall, and -Denise on finding herself in this uncertain glimmer, hesitated, and -was seized with fear, for a moment previously, on turning the corner -of the street, she had seen the door close on the shadowy figure of a -man. It must have been the governor coming home from a party; and the -idea that he was there in the dark possibly waiting for her, caused -her one of those strange fears with which he still inspired her, -without any reasonable cause. Some one was certainly moving about on -the first-floor, for she heard a creaking of boots, whereupon quite -losing her head, she opened a door which led into the shop, and which -was always left unlocked for the night-watch to make his rounds. On -entering she found herself in the printed cotton department.</p> - -<p>"Good heavens! what shall I do?" she stammered, in her emotion.</p> - -<p>Then the idea occurred to her that there was another door upstairs -leading to the bedrooms; but to reach it she would have to go right -across the shop. She preferred this, however, notwithstanding the -darkness reigning in the galleries. Not a gas-jet was burning there; -only a few lighted oil-lamps hung here and there from the branches -of the chandeliers; and these scattered lights, like yellow specks -fading away in the gloom, resembled the lanterns hung up in mines. Big -shadows loomed before her; she could hardly distinguish the piles of -goods, which assumed all sorts of threatening aspects—now they looked -like fallen columns, now like squatting beasts, and now like lurking -thieves. The heavy silence, broken by distant breathing, moreover -increased the darkness. However, she found her way. From the linen -department on her left came a paler gleam, bluey, like a house front -under a summer sky at night; then she wished to cross the central hall, -but on running up against some piles of printed calico, she thought it -safer to traverse the hosiery department, and then the woollen one. -There she was frightened by a loud noise of snoring. It was Joseph, the -messenger, sleeping behind some mourning articles. She then quickly -ran into the hall where the skylight cast a sort of crepuscular light, -which made it appear larger, and, with its motionless shelves, and -the shadows of its yard-measures describing reversed crosses, lent it -the awe-inspiring aspect of a church at night. And she, indeed full -of fear, now fairly fled. In the mercery and glove departments she -nearly trod on some more assistants, and only felt safe when she at -last found herself on the staircase. But up above, just outside the -mantle department, she was again seized with terror on perceiving a -lantern twinkling in the darkness and moving forward. It was the patrol -of two firemen, marking their passage on the faces of the indicators. -She stood still for a moment failing to understand their business, and -watched them passing from among the shawls to the furniture, and then -on to the under-linen department, terrified the while by their strange -manœuvres, by the grating of their keys and the closing of the iron -doors which shut with a resounding clang. When they approached, she -took refuge in the lace department, but suddenly heard herself called -by name and thereupon ran off to the door conducting to the private -stairs. She had recognised Deloche's voice. He slept in his department, -on a little iron bedstead which he set up himself every evening; and -he was not asleep yet, but with open eyes was rememorating aloud the -pleasant hours he had spent that evening.</p> - -<p>"What! it's you, mademoiselle?" said Mouret, whom Denise despite -all her manœuvring found before her on the staircase, a small -pocket-candleholder in his hand.</p> - -<p>She stammered, and tried to explain that she had been to look for -something. But he was not angry. He gazed at her with his paternal, and -at the same time inquisitive, air.</p> - -<p>"You had permission to go to the theatre, then?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"And have you enjoyed yourself? What theatre did you go to?"</p> - -<p>"I have been in the country, sir."</p> - -<p>This made him laugh. Then laying a certain stress on his words, he -added: "All alone?"</p> - -<p>"No, sir; with a lady friend," she replied, her cheeks burning, shocked -as she was by the suspicion which his words implied.</p> - -<p>He said no more; but he was still looking at her in her simple black -dress and bonnet trimmed with a strip of blue ribbon. Was this little -savage going to turn out a pretty girl? She looked all the better for -her day in the open air, quite charming indeed with her splendid hair -waving over her forehead. And he, who during the last six months had -treated her like a child, sometimes giving her advice, yielding to a -desire to inform himself, to a wicked wish to know how a woman grew up -and became lost in Paris, no longer laughed, but experienced a feeling -of surprise and fear mingled with tenderness. No doubt it was a lover -who was improving her like this. At this thought he felt as if pecked -to the heart by a favourite bird, with which he had been playing.</p> - -<p>"Good night, sir," murmured Denise, continuing on her way without -waiting.</p> - -<p>He did not answer, but remained watching her till she had disappeared. -And then he entered his own apartments.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a></h4> - - -<p>When the dead summer season arrived, quite a hurricane of panic -swept through The Ladies' Paradise. The reign of terror—terror of -dismissal—commenced; many employees were sent away on leave, and -others were dismissed in dozens by the principals, bent on clearing the -shop, as no customers appeared there during the July and August heat. -Mouret, on making his daily round with Bourdoncle, would call aside -the managers, whom he had prompted during the winter to engage more -men than were really necessary, in order that the business might not -suffer; but it was now a question of reducing expenses and this was -effected by casting quite a third of the shop people—the weak ones who -allowed themselves to be swallowed up by the strong ones—on to the -pavements again.</p> - -<p>"Come," he would say, "you must have some who don't suit you. We can't -keep them all this time doing nothing."</p> - -<p>And if the manager hesitated, hardly knowing whom to sacrifice, he -would continue: "Make your own arrangements, six salesmen must suffice; -you can take on others in October, there are always plenty to be had!"</p> - -<p>Moreover Bourdoncle undertook the executions. He had a terrible way of -saying: "Go and be paid!" which fell on the poor devil he had singled -out like a blow from an axe. Anything served him as a pretext for -clearing off the superfluous staff. He invented misdeeds, speculating -on the slightest negligence. "You were sitting down, sir; go and get -paid!" "You dare to answer me; go and get paid!" "Your shoes have not -been blackened; go and get paid!" And even the bravest trembled in -presence of the massacre which he left behind him. Then, this system -not working quickly enough, he invented a trap by which in a few days -and without fatigue, he got rid of the number of salesmen condemned -beforehand. At eight o'clock, he took his stand at the door, watch in -hand; and at three minutes past the hour, the breathless young people -who arrived were greeted with his implacable "Go and get paid!" This -was a quick and cleanly manner of doing the work.</p> - -<p>"You've an ugly mug," he ended by saying one day to a poor devil whose -nose, all on one side, annoyed him, "go and get paid!"</p> - -<p>The favoured ones obtained a fortnight's holiday without pay, which -was a more humane way of lessening the expenses. Moreover the salesmen -quietly accepted their precarious situation, obliged to do so by -necessity and habit. Since their arrival in Paris, they had roamed -about, commencing their apprenticeship here, finishing it there, -getting dismissed or they themselves resigning all at once, just as -interest dictated. When business slackened the workmen lost their daily -bread; and this went on amidst the subdued working of the machine, the -useless gear was quietly thrown aside, like so much old plant. There -was no gratitude shown for services rendered. So much the worse for -those who did not know how to look after themselves!</p> - -<p>Nothing else was now talked of in the various departments. Fresh -stories circulated every day. The dismissed salesmen were named, in the -same way as one counts the dead in time of cholera. The shawl and the -woollen departments suffered especially; seven employees disappeared -from them in one week. Then quite a drama threw the under-linen -department into confusion: a customer, nearly fainting away, accused -the young person who had served her of eating garlic; and the latter -was dismissed at once, although, badly fed and dying of hunger, she -had simply been finishing a collection of bread-crusts at the counter. -However, the authorities showed themselves pitiless at the least -complaint from customers; no excuse was admitted, the employee was -always wrong, and had to disappear like a defective instrument, which -interfered with the proper working of the business; and the others -bowed their heads, not even attempting any defence. In the panic which -was raging, each trembled for himself. Mignot, going out one day with -a parcel under his coat, notwithstanding the regulations, was nearly -caught, and really thought himself lost. Liénard, celebrated for his -idleness, was simply indebted to his father's position in the drapery -trade for not being turned away one afternoon when Bourdoncle found -him dozing between two piles of English velvets. But the Lhommes were -especially anxious, each day expecting to see their son Albert sent -away, as the principals were very dissatisfied with his conduct at his -pay-desk. He frequently had women there who diverted his attention from -his work; and twice already Madame Aurélie had been obliged to plead -for him.</p> - -<p>Denise was so menaced amid this general clearance, that she lived in -constant expectation of a catastrophe. It was in vain that she summoned -up her courage, struggling with all her gaiety and all her reason in -the endeavour not to yield to the misgivings of her tender nature; -she burst into blinding tears as soon as she had closed the door of -her bedroom, in desolation at the thought of finding herself in the -street, on bad terms with her uncle, not knowing where to go, without a -copper saved, and with the two children to look after. The sensations -she had experienced during the first few weeks again returned, she -fancied herself a grain of seed under a powerful millstone; and utter -discouragement came over her at the thought of what a small atom she -was in this great machine, which would certainly crush her with its -quiet indifference. There was no illusion possible; if they dismissed -any one from her department it would certainly be herself. During the -Rambouillet excursion no doubt the other young ladies had incensed -Madame Aurélie against her, for since then that lady had treated her -with an air of severity into which entered a certain rancour. Besides, -they could not forgive her for going to Joinville, regarding it as a -sign of revolt, a means of setting the whole department at defiance, by -exhibiting herself out of doors with a young lady from a rival counter. -Never had Denise suffered so much in the department, and she now gave -up all hope of conquering it.</p> - -<p>"Let them alone!" repeated Pauline, "a lot of stuck-up things, as -stupid as geese!"</p> - -<p>But it was just these fine-lady airs which intimidated Denise. Nearly -all the saleswomen, by their daily contact with rich customers, -acquired certain graces, and finished by forming a vague nameless -class—something between a work-girl and a middle-class lady. But -beneath their art in dress, and the manners and phrases they had learnt -by rote, there was often only a false, superficial education, the fruit -of reading worthless papers, attending cheap theatres and music-halls, -and picking up all the current stupidities of Paris.</p> - -<p>"You know the 'unkempt one' has got a child?" said Clara one morning, -on arriving in the department. And, as the others seemed astonished, -she continued: "Yes, I saw her yesterday myself taking the child out -for a walk! She's got it stowed away in the neighbourhood, somewhere."</p> - -<p>Two days later, Marguerite came up after dinner with another piece of -news. "A nice thing, I've just seen the unkempt one's sweetheart—a -workman, just fancy! Yes, a dirty little workman, with yellow hair, who -was watching her through the windows."</p> - -<p>From that moment it became an accepted fact: Denise had a workman for -a lover, and an infant concealed somewhere in the neighbourhood. They -overwhelmed her with spiteful allusions. The first time she understood -them she turned quite pale at the monstrosity of their suppositions. It -was abominable; she tried to explain, and stammered out: "But they are -my brothers!"</p> - -<p>"Oh! oh! her brothers!" said Clara in a bantering tone.</p> - -<p>Madame Aurélie was obliged to interfere. "Be quiet! young ladies. You -had better go on changing those tickets. Mademoiselle Baudu is quite -free to misbehave herself out of doors, if only she worked a bit when -she is here."</p> - -<p>This curt defence was a condemnation. The poor girl, suffocating as -if they had accused her of a crime, vainly endeavoured to explain the -facts. They laughed and shrugged their shoulders, and she felt wounded -to the heart. On hearing the rumours Deloche was so indignant that he -wanted to slap the faces of the young ladies in Denise's department; -and was only restrained from doing so by the fear of compromising her. -Since the evening at Joinville, he had harboured a submissive love, an -almost religious friendship for her, which he proved by his faithful -doglike looks. He was careful not to show his affection before the -others, for they would have laughed at him, still that did not prevent -him dreaming of the avenging blow he would deal if ever any one should -attack her in his presence.</p> - -<p>Denise finished by not answering the insults. It was all too odious, -nobody would believe it. When any of her companions ventured a fresh -allusion, she contented herself with looking at her with a sad, calm -air. Besides, she had other troubles, material anxieties which took -up her attention. Jean went on as badly as ever, always worrying her -for money. Hardly a week passed that she did not receive some fresh -story from him, four pages long; and when the house postman brought -her these letters, in a big, passionate handwriting, she hastened to -hide them in her pocket, for the saleswomen affected to laugh, and -hummed snatches of some doubtful ditties. Then, after inventing some -pretext to enable her to go to the other end of the establishment -and read these letters, she became full of fear; poor Jean seemed to -be lost. All his fibs succeeded with her, she believed in all his -extraordinary love adventures, her complete ignorance of such things -making her exaggerate his dangers. Sometimes it was a two-franc piece -he wanted to enable him to escape some woman's jealousy, at other times -five francs, six francs, to get some poor girl out of a scrape as her -father would otherwise kill her. And so, as her salary and commission -did not suffice, Denise conceived the idea of looking for a little work -after business hours. She spoke about it to Robineau, who had shown a -certain sympathy for her since their first meeting at Vinçard's, and -he procured her the making of some neckties at five sous a dozen. At -night, between nine and one o'clock, she could sew six dozen of these -which represented thirty sous, out of which she had to deduct four sous -for a candle. And as this sum kept Jean going she did not complain of -the want of sleep, and would have thought herself very happy had not -another catastrophe once more upset her budgetary calculations. At the -end of the second fortnight, when she went to the necktie-dealer's, -she found the door closed; the woman had failed, become bankrupt, -thus carrying off her eighteen francs six sous, a considerable sum on -which she had been relying for the last week. All the annoyances she -experienced in the department disappeared before this disaster.</p> - -<p>"You seem worried," said Pauline, meeting her one day in the furniture -gallery, looking very pale. "Are you in want of anything?"</p> - -<p>But as Denise already owed her friend twelve francs, she tried to smile -and replied: "No, thanks. I've not slept well, that's all."</p> - -<p>It was the twentieth of July, and the panic caused by the dismissals -was at its height. Out of the four hundred employees, Bourdoncle had -already sacked fifty, and there were rumours of fresh executions. She, -however, thought but little of the menaces which were flying about, -entirely absorbed as she was by the anguish caused her by one of Jean's -adventures, an adventure yet more terrifying than any previous one. -That very day he wanted fifteen francs, which sum alone could save him -from somebody's vengeance. On the previous evening she had received -the first letter opening the drama; then, one after the other had come -two more; and in the last, the perusal of which she was finishing when -Pauline met her, Jean had announced his death for that evening, if she -did not send the money. She was in agony. She couldn't take the sum -out of Pépé's board money as this she had paid away two days before. -Every sort of bad luck was pursuing her, for she had hoped to get her -eighteen francs six sous through Robineau, who might perhaps be able -to find the necktie-dealer; but Robineau, having got a fortnight's -holiday, had not returned on the previous night though expected to do -so.</p> - -<p>However, Pauline still questioned her in a friendly way. Whenever they -met, in an out-of-the-way department, they would thus converse for a -few minutes, keeping a sharp look-out the while. And suddenly, Pauline -made a move as if to run off, having observed the white tie of an -inspector coming out of the shawl department.</p> - -<p>"Ah! it's only old Jouve!" she murmured in a relieved tone. "I can't -think what makes the old man grin as he does when he sees us together. -In your place I should beware, for he's too kind to you. He's an old -humbug, as spiteful as a cat, and thinks he's still got his troopers to -talk to."</p> - -<p>This was quite true; Jouve was detested by all the salespeople for his -severity. More than half the dismissals were the result of his reports; -and, rakish ex-captain that he was, with a big red nose, he only shewed -himself lenient in the departments served by women. Thus though he must -have perceived Denise and Pauline he went away, pretending not to see -them; and they heard him dropping on a salesman of the lace department, -guilty of watching a fallen horse in the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin.</p> - -<p>"By the way," resumed Pauline, "weren't you looking for Monsieur -Robineau yesterday? He's come back."</p> - -<p>At this Denise thought herself saved. "Thanks," said she, "I'll go -round the other way then, and pass through the silk department. So much -the worse! They sent me upstairs to the work-room to fetch a bodkin."</p> - -<p>And thereupon they separated. The young girl, with a busy look, as if -she were running from pay-desk to pay-desk in search of something, -reached the stairs and went down into the hall. It was a quarter to -ten, the first lunch-bell had rung. A warm sun was playing on the -windows, and in spite of the grey linen blinds, the heat penetrated the -stagnant air. Now and then a refreshing breath arose from the floor, -which some assistants were gently watering. A somnolence, a summer -siesta reigned in all the vacant spaces around the counters, you might -have thought yourself in a church wrapt in sleeping shadow after the -last mass. Some salesmen were standing about listlessly, and a few rare -customers crossed the galleries and the hall, with the indolent step of -women annoyed by the sun.</p> - -<p>Just as Denise went down, Favier was measuring a dress length of light -silk, with pink spots, for Madame Boutarel, who had arrived in Paris -from the South on the previous day. Since the commencement of the -month, the provinces had been sending up their detachments; you saw -nothing but queerly-dressed dames in yellow shawls, green skirts, and -flaring bonnets. But the shopmen were even too indolent to laugh at -them. Favier accompanied Madame Boutarel to the mercery department, and -on returning, remarked to Hutin:</p> - -<p>"Yesterday they were all Auvergnat women, to-day they're all -Provençales. I'm sick of them."</p> - -<p>But just then Hutin rushed forward, for it was his turn, and he had -recognised "the pretty lady," the lovely blonde thus nicknamed by the -department which knew nothing about her, not even her name. They all -smiled at her, not a week passed without her coming to The Ladies' -Paradise, hitherto always alone. This time, however, she had a little -boy of four or five with her, and this gave rise to various comments.</p> - -<p>"She's married, then?" asked Favier, when Hutin returned from the -pay-desk, where he had debited her with thirty yards of Duchess satin.</p> - -<p>"Possibly," replied he, "although the youngster proves nothing. Perhaps -he belongs to a lady friend. What's certain is, that she must have been -weeping. She was awfully melancholy, and her eyes were so red!"</p> - -<p>A silence ensued. The two salesmen gazed vaguely into the depths of the -shop. Then Favier resumed in a low voice: "If she's married, perhaps -her husband's smacked her face."</p> - -<p>"Possibly," repeated Hutin, "unless a lover has played her false." And -after a fresh silence, he added: "Any way, I don't care a hang!"</p> - -<p>At this moment Denise crossed the silk department, slackening her steps -and looking around her, in search of Robineau. She could not see him, -so she went into the linen department, then passed through again. The -two salesmen had noticed her movements.</p> - -<p>"There's that bag of bones again," murmured Hutin.</p> - -<p>"She's looking for Robineau," said Favier. "I can't think what they get -up to together. Oh! nothing wrong. But they say Robineau has procured -her a little work, some neckties. What a spec, eh?"</p> - -<p>Hutin was meditating something spiteful; and when Denise passed near -him, he stopped her, saying: "Is it me you're looking for?"</p> - -<p>She turned very red. Since the Joinville excursion, she had not dared -to read her heart, full of confused sensations. She was constantly -recalling his appearance with that red-haired girl, and if she still -trembled before him, it was doubtless from uneasiness. Had she ever -loved him? Did she love him still? She hardly liked to stir up these -things, which were painful to her.</p> - -<p>"No, sir," she replied, embarrassed.</p> - -<p>Hutin thereupon began to laugh at her uneasy manner. "Would you like us -to serve him to you? Favier, just serve Robineau to this young lady."</p> - -<p>She looked at him fixedly, with the sad calm look with which she had -met the wounding remarks made by the girls, her companions. Ah! so he -was spiteful, he attacked her as well as the others! And she felt a -sort of supreme anguish, the breaking of a last tie. Her face expressed -such real suffering, that Favier, although not of a very tender nature, -came to her assistance.</p> - -<p>"Monsieur Robineau has gone out to match some goods," said he. "No -doubt he will be back for lunch. You'll find him here this afternoon, -if you want to speak to him."</p> - -<p>Denise thanked him, and went up to her department, where Madame Aurélie -was waiting for her in a terrible rage. What! she had been gone half an -hour! Where had she just sprung from? Not from the work-room, that was -quite certain! The poor girl hung her head, thinking of this avalanche -of misfortunes. All would be over if Robineau should not come in. -However, she resolved to go down again, later on.</p> - -<p>In the silk department, Robineau's return had provoked quite a -revolution. The salesmen had hoped that, disgusted with the annoyances -they were incessantly causing him, he would not return to the -establishment; and, in fact, there was a moment, when pressed by -Vinçard to take over his business, he had almost decided to do so. -Hutin's secret labour, the mine which he had been laying under the -second-hand's feet for months past, was about to explode. During -Robineau's holidays, he had temporarily taken his place and had done -his best to injure him in the minds of the principals, and secure -possession of his situation by excess of zeal; he discovered and -reported all sorts of trifling irregularities, suggested improvements, -and invented new designs. There was, however, nothing exceptional in -all this. Everybody in the department—from the unpaid probationer, -longing to become a salesman, to the first salesman who coveted the -situation of manager—had but one fixed idea, and that was to dislodge -the comrade above them, to ascend another rung of the ladder, by -knocking him over if necessary; and this battle of appetites, this -constant hurtling, even contributed to the better working of the -machine, inspiriting the sales and fanning the flame of success which -was astonishing Paris. Behind Hutin, there was Favier; and behind -Favier came the others, in a long line. You heard a loud noise as -of jaws working. Robineau was condemned, and each was grabbing for -one of his bones. So when the second-hand returned from his holiday -there was a general grumbling. The matter had to be settled at once, -the salesmen's attitude appearing so menacing that the head of the -department had sent Robineau out to match some goods at the dépôts of -manufacturers in order to give the authorities an opportunity to come -to a decision.</p> - -<p>"We would sooner all leave, if he is to be kept," declared Hutin.</p> - -<p>The affair greatly bothered Bouthemont, whose gaiety ill-accorded with -such worries. He was pained to see nothing but scowling faces around -him. Nevertheless he desired to be just.</p> - -<p>"Come, leave him alone, he doesn't hurt you," he said.</p> - -<p>But they protested energetically. "What! doesn't hurt us! An -insupportable being who is always irritable and so proud that he would -walk over one rather than not pass."</p> - -<p>This was the great grievance of the department. Robineau, nervous as -a woman, was intolerably stiff and susceptible. They related scores -of stories about him; one poor little fellow had fallen ill through -his treatment, and even lady customers had been humiliated by his curt -remarks.</p> - -<p>"Well, gentlemen, I won't take anything on myself," said Bouthemont. -"I've notified the position to the directors, and am going to speak -about it shortly."</p> - -<p>The second lunch was being rung; the clang of a bell came up from the -basement with a distant muffled sound in the close air of the shop. -Hutin and Favier went down. From all the counters, came salesmen one -by one, hastening, helter-skelter, through the narrow entrance to the -kitchen passage down below, a damp passage always lighted by gas. The -flock pushed forward, without a laugh or a word, amidst an increasing -clatter of crockery and a strong odour of food. Then at the far end -of the passage there was a sudden halt, before a wicket. Flanked by -piles of plates, and armed with forks and spoons, which he plunged into -copper-pans, a cook was distributing the portions. And when he stood -aside, the flaring kitchen could be seen beyond his white-covered belly.</p> - -<p>"Of course!" muttered Hutin, consulting the bill of fare, written on a -black-board above the wicket. "Boiled beef and pungent sauce, or skate. -Never any roast meat in this rotten shop! Their boiled beef and fish -don't do a fellow a bit of good!"</p> - -<p>Moreover, the fish was universally neglected, for the pan was quite -full. Favier, however, took some skate. Behind him, Hutin stooped down, -saying: "Beef and sauce."</p> - -<p>With a mechanical movement of his fork, the cook picked up a piece of -meat; then poured a spoonful of sauce over it, and Hutin, suffocated by -the hot air from the kitchen, had hardly secured his portion, before -the words, "Beef, pungent sauce; beef, pungent sauce," followed each -other like a litany; whilst the cook continued to pick up the meat -and pour the sauce over it with the rapid rhythmical movement of a -well-regulated clock.</p> - -<p>"But the skate's cold," declared Favier, whose hand felt no warmth from -the plate.</p> - -<p>They were now all hurrying along, with arms extended and plates held -straight, for fear of running against one another. Ten steps further -was the bar, another wicket with a shiny zinc counter, on which were -ranged the shares of wine, small bottles, without corks and still damp -from rinsing. And each took one of these bottles in his empty hand -as he passed, and then, completely laden, made for his table with a -serious air, careful not to spill anything.</p> - -<p>Hutin, however, grumbled between his teeth. "This is a fine dance, with -all this crockery!"</p> - -<p>The table at which he and Favier sat, was at the end of the corridor, -in the last dining-room. The rooms were all alike, old cellars twelve -feet by fifteen, which had been cemented over and fitted up as -refectories; but the damp came through the paint-work, the yellow walls -were covered with greenish spots; and, from the narrow windows, opening -on the street, on a level with the pavement, there fell a livid light, -incessantly traversed by the vague shadows of passers-by. In July as -in December, you stifled in the warm air, laden with nauseous smells, -which came from the kitchen near by.</p> - -<p>Hutin went in first. On the table, which was fixed at one end to the -wall, and covered with American cloth, there were only the glasses, -knives, and forks, marking the places. A pile of clean plates stood at -each end; whilst in the middle was a big loaf, a knife sticking in it, -with the handle in the air. Hutin rid himself of his bottle and laid -down his plate; then, after taking his napkin from the bottom of a set -of pigeon-holes, the sole ornament on the walls, he heaved a sigh and -sat down.</p> - -<p>"And I'm fearfully hungry, too!" he murmured.</p> - -<p>"It's always like that," replied Favier, seating himself on the left. -"Nothing to eat when one is starving."</p> - -<p>The table was rapidly filling. It contained twenty-two places. At -first nothing was heard but a loud clattering of knives and forks, the -gormandizing of big fellows whom thirteen hours' daily work incessantly -rendered hungry. Formerly the employees had been allowed an hour for -meals, which had enabled them to go to a café and take their coffee; -and they would then despatch their dinner in twenty minutes, anxious -to get into the street. But this excited them too much, they came back -careless, their minds bent on other things than business; and so the -managers had decided that they should not go out, but pay an extra -three halfpence for a cup of coffee, if they wanted one. So now they -were in no hurry, but prolonged the meal, being in no wise anxious to -go back to work before time. Between their big mouthfuls a great many -read newspapers which they had folded and placed against their bottles. -Others, their first hunger satisfied, talked noisily, always returning -to the eternal grievance of the bad food, to the money they had earned, -to what they had done on the previous Sunday, and what they were going -to do on the next one.</p> - -<p>"I say, what about your Robineau?" a salesman suddenly asked Hutin.</p> - -<p>The struggle between the men of the silk department and their -second-hand occupied all the counters. The question was discussed every -evening at the Café Saint-Roch until midnight. Hutin, who was busy with -his piece of beef, contented himself with replying:</p> - -<p>"Well! he's come back." Then, suddenly getting angry, he resumed: "But -confound it! I really believe they've given me a slice of donkey! It's -become disgusting, my word of honour!"</p> - -<p>"You needn't grumble!" said Favier. "I was flat enough to ask for -skate. It's putrid."</p> - -<p>They were all speaking at once, some complaining and some joking. At a -corner of the table, against the wall, sat Deloche silently eating. He -was afflicted with a ravenous appetite, which he had never been able to -satisfy, and not earning enough to afford any extras, he cut himself -huge chunks of bread, and bolted even the least savoury platefuls, with -a gormandizing air. They all laughed at him, crying: "Favier, pass your -skate to Deloche. He likes it like that. And your meat, Hutin; Deloche -wants it for his dessert."</p> - -<p>The poor fellow shrugged his shoulders, and did not even reply. It -wasn't his fault if he was dying of hunger. Besides, the others might -abuse the food as much as they liked, they swallowed it all the same.</p> - -<p>But a low whistle stopped their talk; Mouret and Bourdoncle were in -the corridor. For some time the complaints had become so frequent that -the principals pretended to come and judge the quality of the food -themselves. They gave thirty sous a head per day to the chief cook, -who had to pay for everything, provisions, coal, gas, and staff, and -they displayed a naive astonishment when the food was not good. That -very morning even, each department had deputed a spokesman. Mignot -and Liénard had undertaken to speak for their comrades. And so, in -the sudden silence which fell, all ears were cocked to catch the -conversation going on in the next room, which Mouret and Bourdoncle -had just entered. The latter declared the beef excellent; and Mignot, -astounded by this quiet assertion, was repeating, "But chew it, and -see;" whilst Liénard, attacking the skate, gently remarked, "But it -stinks, sir!" Mouret thereupon launched into a cordial speech; he would -do everything for his employees' welfare, he was their father, and -would rather eat dry bread himself than see them badly fed.</p> - -<p>"I promise you to look into the matter," he said in conclusion, raising -his voice so that they might all hear it from one end of the passage to -the other.</p> - -<p>The inquiry being finished, the noise of the knives and forks commenced -once more. "Yes, reckon on that, and drink water!" Hutin muttered. "Ah, -they're not stingy of fine words. You want some promises, there you -are! But all the while they continue feeding you on old boot-leather, -and chuck you out like dogs!"</p> - -<p>The salesman who had already questioned him thereupon repeated: "You -say that Robineau——"</p> - -<p>But a clatter of heavy crockery-ware drowned his voice. The men changed -their plates themselves, and the piles at both ends were diminishing. -When a kitchen-help brought in some large tin dishes, Hutin cried out: -"Baked rice! this is a finisher!"</p> - -<p>"Good for a penn'orth of gum!" said Favier, serving himself.</p> - -<p>Some liked it but others thought it too sticky. Those who were plunged -in the fiction of their newspaper, not even knowing what they were -eating, remained silent. All, however, mopped their foreheads, and the -narrow cellar-like apartment filled with a ruddy vapour whilst the -shadows of the passers-by continually passed like black bars over the -littered tables.</p> - -<p>"Pass Deloche the bread," cried one of the wags.</p> - -<p>Each one cut a piece, and then again dug the knife into the loaf up to -the handle; and the bread still went round.</p> - -<p>"Who'll take my rice for a dessert?" all at once asked Hutin; and -when he had concluded his bargain with a short, thin young fellow, he -attempted to sell his wine also; but no one would take it as it was -known to be detestable.</p> - -<p>"As I was telling you, Robineau is back," he continued, amid the -cross-fire of laughter and conversation that went on. "Oh! his affair -is serious. Just fancy, he has been leading the saleswomen astray! Yes, -and he gets them cravats to make!"</p> - -<p>"Silence!" muttered Favier. "They're just judging him."</p> - -<p>And with a wink he called attention to Bouthemont, who was walking up -and down the passage between Mouret and Bourdoncle, all three absorbed -in an animated conversation, carried on in a low tone. The dining-room -of the managers and second-hands happened to be just opposite. And -so on seeing Mouret pass, Bouthemont, having finished his meal, had -got up to relate the affair and explain the awkward position he was -in. The other two listened, still refusing to sacrifice Robineau, a -first-class salesman, who dated from Madame Hédouin's time. But when -Bouthemont came to the story of the neckties, Bourdoncle got angry. Was -this fellow mad to interfere with the saleswomen and procure them extra -work? The house paid dearly enough for the women's time; if they worked -on their own account at night they must work less during the daytime -in the shop, that was certain; therefore it was a robbery, they were -risking their health which did not belong to them. No, the night was -intended for sleep; they must all sleep, or they would be sent to the -right-about!</p> - -<p>"Things are getting rather warm!" remarked Hutin.</p> - -<p>Each time the three principals passed the dining-room, the shopmen -watched them, commenting on their slightest gestures. The baked rice, -in which a cashier had just found a brace-button, was momentarily -forgotten.</p> - -<p>"I just heard the word 'cravat,'" said Favier. "And you saw how -Bourdoncle's face turned pale all at once."</p> - -<p>Mouret shared his partner's indignation. That a saleswoman should -be reduced to work at night, seemed to him an attack on the very -organization of The Ladies' Paradise. Who was the stupid that couldn't -earn enough in the business? But when Bouthemont named Denise he -softened down, and invented excuses. Ah! yes, that poor little girl; -she wasn't very sharp, and had others dependent on her, it was said. -Bourdoncle interrupted him to declare they ought to send her packing -immediately. They would never do anything with such an ugly creature, -he had always said so; and he seemed to be indulging a spiteful -feeling. Thereupon Mouret, in embarrassment, affected to laugh. Dear -me! what a severe man! couldn't they forgive her for once? They could -call in the culprit and give her a scolding. In short, Robineau was -the one to blame, for he ought to have dissuaded her, he, an old hand, -knowing the ways of the house.</p> - -<p>"Well! there's the governor laughing now!" resumed Favier, in -astonishment, as the group again passed the door.</p> - -<p>"Ah, by Jove!" exclaimed Hutin, "if they persist in shoving Robineau on -our shoulders, we'll make it lively for them!"</p> - -<p>Bourdoncle looked straight at Mouret and then simply made a gesture of -disdain, to intimate that he saw how it was, and thought it idiotic. -Bouthemont meantime resumed his complaints; the salesmen threatened to -leave, and there were some very good men amongst them. However, what -appeared to have most effect on these gentlemen, was the rumour of -Robineau's friendly relations with Gaujean; the latter, it was said, -was urging the former to set up for himself in the neighbourhood, -offering him any amount of credit, to run in opposition to The Ladies' -Paradise. There was a pause. Ah! Robineau thought of showing fight, did -he! Mouret had become serious, though he affected a certain scorn, and -avoided coming to a decision, as if it were matter of no importance. -They would see, they would speak to him. And he immediately began to -joke with Bouthemont, whose father, arriving from his little shop at -Montpellier two days previously, had almost choked with stupefaction -and rage on seeing the immense hall in which his son reigned. Everyone -was still laughing about the old man, who, recovering his Southern -assurance, had immediately begun to run everything down, pretending -that the drapery business would soon go to the dogs.</p> - -<p>"Ah! precisely, here's Robineau," said Bouthemont. "I sent him to -attend to some matching so as to avoid any unpleasant occurrence. -Excuse me if I insist, but things have come to such a pass that -something must really be done."</p> - -<p>Robineau, who had just come in, passed by the group with a bow, on his -way to the table. Mouret simply repeated: "All right, we'll see about -it."</p> - -<p>Then all three went off. Hutin and Favier were still watching for -them, but on seeing that they did not return began to relieve their -feelings. Did the governor mean to come down like that at every meal, -to count their mouthfuls? A nice thing it would be if they could not -even eat in peace! The truth was, they had just seen Robineau come in, -and the governor's good-humour made them anxious about the result of -the struggle they were engaged in. They lowered their voices, trying to -find fresh subjects for grumbling.</p> - -<p>"But I'm dying of hunger!" continued Hutin, aloud. "One is hungrier -than ever on rising from table!" And yet he had eaten two portions of -jam, his own and the one which he had secured in exchange for his plate -of rice. All at once he cried out: "Hang it, I'm going in for an extra! -Victor, give me another jam!"</p> - -<p>The waiter was finishing the serving of the desserts. He then brought -in the coffee, and those who took it gave him their three sous there -and then. A few had gone away, dawdling along the corridor and -looking for a dark corner where they might smoke a cigarette. The -others remained at table before the greasy plates, rolling pellets of -bread-crumbs and recounting the same old stories, amidst the sickly -odour of victuals, which they could no longer smell, and the sweltering -heat which was reddening their ears. The walls reeked with moisture, -a slow asphyxia fell from the mouldy vaulted ceiling. Leaning against -the wall was Deloche, stuffed with bread and digesting in silence, his -eyes on the window. His daily recreation, after luncheon was to watch -the feet of the passers-by spinning along the street, a continual -procession of living feet in big shoes, elegant boots, and ladies' tiny -boots, without either head or body. On rainy days all were very dirty.</p> - -<p>"What! Already?" suddenly exclaimed Hutin.</p> - -<p>A bell had begun to ring at the end of the passage and they had to -make way for the third lunch. The waiters came in with pails of warm -water and big sponges to clean the American cloth. Gradually the rooms -emptied and the salesmen returned to their departments, loitering as -they went up the stairs. In the kitchen, the head cook had resumed his -place at the wicket, between the pans of skate, beef, and sauce, again -armed with his forks and spoons and ready to fill the plates anew with -the rhythmical movement of a well-regulated clock. As Hutin and Favier -slowly withdrew, they saw Denise coming down.</p> - -<p>"Monsieur Robineau is back, mademoiselle," said the former with -sneering politeness.</p> - -<p>"He is still at table," added the other. "But if you are in a very -great hurry you can go in."</p> - -<p>Denise continued on her way without replying or turning round; but -when she passed the dining-room of the managers and second-hands, she -could not help just looking in, and saw that Robineau was really there. -She resolved that she would try to speak to him in the afternoon, and -continued her journey along the corridor to her own dining-room, which -was at the other end.</p> - -<p>The women took their meals apart, in two special rooms. Denise -entered the first one. This also was an old cellar, transformed into -a refectory; but it had been fitted up with more comfort. On the oval -table, in the middle of the apartment, the fifteen places were set -further apart and the wine was in decanters, a dish of skate and a dish -of beef with pungent sauce occupying the two ends of the table. Waiters -in white aprons moreover attended to the young ladies, and spared them -the trouble of fetching their portions from the wicket. The manager had -thought this arrangement more seemly.</p> - -<p>"You went round, then?" asked Pauline, already seated and cutting -herself some bread.</p> - -<p>"Yes," replied Denise, blushing, "I was accompanying a customer."</p> - -<p>But this was a fib. Clara nudged her neighbour. What was the matter -with the unkempt girl? She was quite strange in her ways that day. One -after the other she had received two letters from her lover and then -went running all over the shop like a madwoman, pretending she was -going to the work-room, where she did not even put in an appearance. -There was something up, that was certain. Then Clara, eating her skate -without any show of disgust, with the indifference of a girl who had -been used to nothing better than rancid bacon, began speaking of a -frightful drama, accounts of which filled the newspapers.</p> - -<p>"You've read about that man cutting his mistress's throat with a razor, -haven't you?"</p> - -<p>"Well!" said a little, quiet, delicate-looking girl belonging to the -under-linen department, "she was unfaithful to him. Serve her right!"</p> - -<p>But Pauline protested. What! just because you had ceased to love a man, -he was to be allowed to cut your throat? Ah! no, never! And stopping -all at once, she turned round to the waiter, saying: "Pierre, I can't -get through this beef. Just tell them to do me an extra, an omelet, -nice and soft, if possible."</p> - -<p>Then to while away the time, she took out some chocolate which she -began eating with her bread, for she always had her pockets full of -sweetmeats.</p> - -<p>"It certainly isn't very amusing," resumed Clara. "And some people are -fearfully jealous, you know! Only the other day there was a workman who -pitched his wife into a well."</p> - -<p>She kept her eyes on Denise, thinking she had guessed her trouble on -seeing her turn pale. Evidently that little prude was afraid of being -beaten by her lover, whom she no doubt deceived. It would be a lark if -he should come into the shop after her, as she seemed to fear he would. -But the conversation took another turn, for one of the girls was giving -a recipe for cleaning velvet. Then they went on to speak of a piece at -the Gaiety, in which some lovely little children danced better than any -grown-up persons. Pauline, saddened for a moment at the sight of her -omelet, which was overdone, recovered her spirits on finding that it -tasted fairly well.</p> - -<p>"Pass the wine," said she to Denise. "You should take an omelet."</p> - -<p>"Oh! the beef is enough for me," replied the young girl, who, in order -to avoid expense, contented herself with the food provided by the -house, no matter how repugnant it might be.</p> - -<p>When the waiter brought in the baked rice, the other young ladies -protested. They had refused it the previous week, and had hoped it -would not appear again. Denise, inattentive, worrying the more about -Jean after Clara's stories, was the only one to eat it; and all the -others looked at her with disgust. There was a great demand for extras, -they gorged themselves with jam. Moreover this was a sort of elegance, -they considered it aristocratic to feed themselves at their own expense.</p> - -<p>"You know that the gentlemen have complained," said the delicate -little girl from the under-linen department, "and the management has -promised——"</p> - -<p>But the others interrupted her with a burst of laughter, and began -to rail at the management. Coffee was taken by all excepting Denise, -who couldn't bear it, she said. And they lingered there before their -cups, the young ladies from the under-linen department all middle-class -simplicity in their woollen dresses, and the young ladies from the -mantle department arrayed in silk, their napkins tucked under their -chins, in order not to stain their gowns, like ladies who might have -come down to the servants' hall to dine with their chamber-maids. -Having opened the glazed sash of the air-hole to change the stifling -poisoned air, they were speedily obliged to close it for the cab-wheels -seemed to be passing over the table.</p> - -<p>"Hush!" whispered Pauline; "here's that old beast!"</p> - -<p>It was inspector Jouve, who was rather fond of prowling about at meal -times, when the young ladies were there. He was supposed, in fact, to -look after their dining-rooms. With a smiling face he would come in -and walk round the tables; sometimes he would even indulge in a little -gossip, and inquire if they had made a good lunch. But as he annoyed -them and made them feel uncomfortable, they all hastened to get away. -Although the bell had not rung, Clara was the first to disappear; the -others followed her, and soon only Denise and Pauline remained. The -latter, after drinking her coffee, was finishing her chocolate drops. -But all at once she got up, saying: "I'm going to send a messenger for -some oranges. Are you coming?"</p> - -<p>"Presently," replied Denise, who was nibbling at a crust, determined to -wait till the last, so that she might be able to see Robineau on her -way upstairs.</p> - -<p>However, when she found herself alone with Jouve she felt uneasy and -annoyed, and quitted the table; but as she was going towards the door -he stopped her saying: "Mademoiselle Baudu——"</p> - -<p>Erect before her, he was smiling with a paternal air. His thick grey -moustache and short cropped hair gave him a respectable military -appearance; and he threw out his chest, on which was displayed the red -ribbon of his decoration.</p> - -<p>"What is it, Monsieur Jouve?" asked she, feeling reassured.</p> - -<p>"I caught you again this morning talking upstairs behind the carpet -department. You know it is not allowed, and if I reported you—She must -be very fond of you, your friend Pauline." His moustache quivered, and -his huge nose seemed all aflame. "What makes you so fond of each other, -eh?"</p> - -<p>Denise had again been seized with an uneasy feeling. He was getting too -close, and was speaking in her face.</p> - -<p>"It's true we were talking, Monsieur Jouve," she stammered, "but -there's no harm in talking a bit. You are very kind to me, and I'm very -much obliged to you."</p> - -<p>"I ought not to be kind," said he. "Justice, and nothing more, is my -motto. But when it's a pretty girl——"</p> - -<p>And thereupon he came closer still, and she felt really afraid. -Pauline's words returned to her memory and she recalled the stories -which were told of old Jouve's goings-on.</p> - -<p>"Leave me alone," she murmured drawing back.</p> - -<p>"Come," said he, "you are not going to play the savage with me, who -always treat you so well. Be amiable, come and take a cup of tea and a -slice of bread-and-butter with me this evening. You are very welcome."</p> - -<p>She was struggling now. "No! no!" she exclaimed.</p> - -<p>The dining-room remained empty, the waiter had not come back. Jouve, -listening for the sound of any footsteps, cast a rapid glance around -him; and then, very excited, losing all control over himself, he -attempted to kiss her on the neck.</p> - -<p>"What a spiteful, stupid little girl you are!" he said.</p> - -<p>But she was quite shocked and terrified by the approach of his burning -face, and all at once she gave him so rough a push that he staggered -and nearly fell upon the table. Fortunately, a chair saved him; but in -the shock, some wine left in a glass spurted on to his white necktie, -and soaked his decoration. And he remained there, without wiping -himself, choked with anger at such brutality.</p> - -<p>"Ah, you will be sorry for this, on my word of honour!" he growled -between his teeth.</p> - -<p>Denise ran away. Just at that moment the bell rang; but sorely -perturbed, still shuddering, she forgot Robineau, and went straight up -to her counter. And she did not dare to go down again. As the sun fell -on the frontage of the Place Gaillon of an afternoon, they were soon -all stifling in the first-floor rooms, notwithstanding the grey linen -blinds. A few customers came, put the young ladies into perspiration, -and went away without buying anything. Every one was yawning even -under Madame Aurélie's big sleepy eyes. At last towards three o'clock, -Denise, seeing the first-hand falling asleep, quietly slipped off, -and resumed her journey across the shop, with a busy air. To put the -curious ones, who might be watching her, off the scent, she did not go -straight to the silk department; pretending that she wanted something -among the laces, she went up to Deloche, and asked him a question; and -then, on reaching the ground-floor, she passed through the printed -cottons department, and was just going into the cravat gallery, when -she stopped short, startled and surprised. Jean was before her.</p> - -<p>"What! it's you?" she murmured, quite pale.</p> - -<p>He was wearing his working blouse, and was bare-headed, with his hair -in disorder, its curls falling over his girlish face. Standing before a -show-case of narrow black neckties, he appeared to be thinking deeply.</p> - -<p>"What are you doing here?" resumed Denise.</p> - -<p>"What do you think?" replied he. "I was waiting for you. You won't -let me come. So I came in all the same but haven't said anything to -anybody. You may be quite easy. Pretend not to know me, if you like."</p> - -<p>Some salesmen were already looking at them in astonishment. Jean -lowered his voice. "She wanted to come with me, you know. Yes, she is -close by, opposite the fountain. Give me the fifteen francs quick, or -we are done for as sure as the sun is shining on us!"</p> - -<p>Denise then lost her head. The lookers-on were grinning, listening -to this adventure. And as behind the cravat department there was a -staircase leading to the basement, she hastily pushed her brother, -and made him go down. Once below he resumed his story, embarrassed, -inventing his facts as he went on, and fearing that he might not be -believed.</p> - -<p>"The money is not for her. She is too respectable for that. And as for -her husband, he does not care a straw for fifteen francs. No, it's for -a low fellow, one of her friends, who saw me kissing her, and if I -don't give him this money this evening——"</p> - -<p>"Be quiet," murmured Denise. "Presently, do get along."</p> - -<p>They were now in the parcels office. The dead season had steeped the -vast basement in a sort of torpor, in the pale light falling from the -air-holes. It was cool as well, and a silence fell from the ceiling. -However, there was a porter collecting from one of the compartments a -few parcels for the neighbourhood of the Madeleine; and, on the large -sorting-table, sat Campion, the chief clerk, his legs dangling, and his -eyes wandering.</p> - -<p>Jean began again: "The husband, who has a big knife——"</p> - -<p>"Get along!" repeated Denise, still pushing him forward.</p> - -<p>They followed one of the narrow passages, where the gas was always kept -burning. In the dark vaults to the right and the left were the reserve -goods, shadowy behind the gratings. At last she stopped opposite one of -these. Nobody was likely to pass that way; but the assistants were not -allowed there, and she shuddered.</p> - -<p>"If this rascal says anything," resumed Jean, "the husband, who has a -big knife——"</p> - -<p>"But where do you expect me to find fifteen francs?" exclaimed Denise -in despair. "Can't you be more careful? You're always getting into some -stupid scrape!"</p> - -<p>He struck his chest. Amidst all his romantic inventions he had almost -forgotten the exact truth. He dramatized his pecuniary wants, but there -was always some immediate necessity behind his display. "By all that's -sacred, it's really true this time," said he.</p> - -<p>She stopped him again, and lost her temper, tortured and completely at -a loss. "I don't want to know," she replied. "Keep your wicked conduct -to yourself. It's too bad, you ought to know better! You're always -tormenting me. I'm killing myself to keep you in money. Yes, I have to -stay up all night at work. Not only that, but you are taking the bread -out of your little brother's mouth."</p> - -<p>Jean stood there with his mouth agape, and his face paling. What! it -was wicked? And he could not understand; from infancy he had always -treated his sister like a comrade, and thought it quite a natural thing -to open his heart to her. But what upset him above all else was to -learn that she stopped up all night. The idea that he was killing her, -and taking Pépé's share as well, affected him so much that he began to -cry.</p> - -<p>"You're right; I'm a scamp," he exclaimed. "Really now, I am quite -furious with myself! I could slap my face!" He had taken her hands, -and was kissing them and inundating them with tears. "Give me the -fifteen francs, and this shall be the last time, I swear it to you. Or -rather—no!—don't give me anything. I prefer to die. If the husband -murders me it will be a good riddance for you." And as she was now -crying as well, he became stricken with remorse. "I say that, but of -course I'm not sure. Perhaps he doesn't want to kill any one. We'll -manage. I promise you that, little sister. Good-bye, I'm off."</p> - -<p>However, a sound of footsteps at the end of the passage suddenly -frightened them. She quickly drew him close to the grating, in a -dark corner. For an instant they heard nothing but the hissing of -a gas-burner near them. Then the footsteps drew nearer; and, on -stretching out her neck, she recognised inspector Jouve, who had just -entered the corridor, with his stiff military walk. Was he there by -chance, or had some one at the door warned him of Jean's presence? She -was seized with such fright that she quite lost her head; and, pushing -Jean out of the dark spot where they were concealed, drove him before -her, stammering out: "Be off! Be off!"</p> - -<p>Both galloped along, hearing Jouve behind them, for he also had began -to run. And again they crossed the parcels office, and reached the foot -of the stairs leading out into the Rue de la Michodière.</p> - -<p>"Be off!" repeated Denise, "be off! If I can, I'll send you the fifteen -francs all the same."</p> - -<p>Jean, bewildered, scampered away. The inspector, who came up panting, -out of breath, could only distinguish a corner of his white blouse, and -his locks of fair hair flying in the wind. For a moment Jouve remained -trying to get his breath back and resume his dignified demeanour. He -now wore a brand-new white necktie which he had purchased in the linen -department and the large bow of which glistened like snow.</p> - -<p>"Well! this is nice behaviour, mademoiselle!" said he, his lips -trembling. "Yes, it's nice, very nice! If you think I'm going to stand -this sort of thing you're mistaken."</p> - -<p>And with this remark he pursued her whilst she was returning to the -shop, overcome with emotion and unable to find a word of defence. She -was sorry now that she had run away. Why hadn't she explained the -matter, and brought her brother forward? They would now imagine all -sorts of villanies, and, say what she might, they would never believe -her. Once more she forgot Robineau, and went back to her counter, -while Jouve repaired to the manager's office to report the matter. But -the messenger on duty told him that Monsieur Mouret was with Monsieur -Bourdoncle and Monsieur Robineau; they had been talking together for -the last quarter of an hour. In fact, the door was half-open, and he -could hear Mouret gaily asking Robineau if he had spent a pleasant -holiday; there was not the least question of a dismissal—on the -contrary, the conversation fell on certain things to be done in the -silk department.</p> - -<p>"Do you want anything, Monsieur Jouve?" exclaimed Mouret. "Come in."</p> - -<p>But a sudden instinct warned the inspector. As Bourdoncle had come -out, he preferred to relate everything to him; and they slowly passed -through the shawl department, walking side by side, the one leaning -over and talking in a low tone, the other listening without a muscle of -his severe face betraying his impressions.</p> - -<p>"All right," he said at last.</p> - -<p>And as they had arrived at the mantle department, he went in. Just at -that moment Madame Aurélie was scolding Denise. Where had she come from -again? This time she couldn't say that she had been to the work-room. -Really, these continual absences could not be tolerated any longer.</p> - -<p>"Madame Aurélie!" cried Bourdoncle.</p> - -<p>He had decided on a bold stroke, not wishing to consult Mouret, for -fear of some weakness. The first-hand came up, and the story was -once more related in a low voice. All the girls were waiting in the -expectation of some catastrophe. At last, Madame Aurélie turned round -with a solemn air.</p> - -<p>"Mademoiselle Baudu!" she called, and her puffy Cæsarian countenance -assumed the inexorable sternness of sovereign power: "Go and get paid!"</p> - -<p>The terrible phrase rang out loudly in the empty department. Denise -stood there pale as a ghost, without saying a word. At last she was -able to ask in broken sentences:</p> - -<p>"Me! me! What for? What have I done?"</p> - -<p>Bourdoncle harshly replied that she knew very well, that she had better -not provoke any explanation; and he spoke of the cravats, and added -that it would be a fine thing if all the young ladies were to receive -men down in the basement.</p> - -<p>"But it was my brother!" she cried with the grievous anger of an -outraged virgin.</p> - -<p>Marguerite and Clara began to laugh. Madame Frédéric, usually so -discreet, shook her head with an incredulous air. Always her brother! -Really it was very stupid! Denise looked round at all of them: at -Bourdoncle, who had taken a dislike to her from the first; Jouve, -who had stopped to serve as a witness, and from whom she expected no -justice; and then at those girls whom she had not been able to soften -by nine months of smiling courage, who were happy, in fact, to help -in turning her out of doors. What was the use of struggling? what was -the use of trying to impose herself on them when none of them liked -her? And she went away without a word, not even casting another look -at the room where she had so long battled. But as soon as she was -alone, before the hall staircase, a deeper sense of suffering filled -her heart. No one cared for her, and the sudden thought of Mouret had -just deprived her of all resignation. No! no! she could not accept -such a dismissal. Perhaps he would believe that villanous story of a -rendezvous with a man down in the cellars. At this thought, a feeling -of shame tortured her, an anguish with which she had never before been -afflicted. She wished to go and see him to explain the matter to him, -simply in order to let him know the truth; for she was quite ready to -go away as soon as he should know it. And her old fear, the shiver -which chilled her whenever she was in his presence, suddenly developed -into an ardent desire to see him, not to leave the house in fact -without telling him that she had never belonged to another.</p> - -<p>It was nearly five o'clock, and the shop was waking into life again -in the cool evening air. She quickly started off for Mouret's office. -But when she reached the door, a hopeless, melancholy feeling again -took possession of her. Her tongue refused its office, the intolerable -burden of existence again fell on her shoulders. He would not believe -her, he would laugh like the others, she thought; and this idea made -her almost faint away. All was over, she would be better alone, out -of the way, dead! And thereupon, without informing either Pauline or -Deloche, she at once went for her money.</p> - -<p>"You have twenty-two days, mademoiselle," said the clerk, "that makes -eighteen francs and fourteen sous; to which must be added seven francs -for commission. That's right, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir. Thanks."</p> - -<p>And Denise was about to go off with her money, when she at last met -Robineau. He had already heard of her dismissal, and promised to find -the necktie-dealer. Then in a lower tone he tried to console her, but -lost his temper: what an existence, to be at the continual mercy of -a whim! to be thrown on to the pavement at an hour's notice, without -even being able to claim a full month's salary. Denise went up to -inform Madame Cabin that she would endeavour to send for her box during -the evening. It was just striking five when she found herself on the -pavement of the Place Gaillon, bewildered, in the midst of the crowd of -people and vehicles.</p> - -<p>That same evening when Robineau got home he received a letter from the -management informing him, in a few lines, that for certain reasons -relating to internal arrangements they were obliged to deprive -themselves of his services. He had been at The Paradise for seven -years, and only that afternoon had been talking to the principals. Thus -it was a heavy blow for him. Hutin and Favier, however, were crowing -in the silk department, as loudly as Clara and Marguerite in the other -one. A jolly good riddance! Such clean sweeps made room for others! -Deloche and Pauline were the only ones who when they met amidst the -crush of the galleries exchanged distressful words, in their regret at -the departure of Denise, so virtuous and gentle.</p> - -<p>"Ah," said the young man, "if ever she succeeds anywhere else, I -should like to see her come back here, and trample on all those -good-for-nothing creatures!"</p> - -<p>It was Bourdoncle who in this affair had to bear the brunt of Mouret's -anger. When the latter heard of Denise's dismissal, he was exceedingly -annoyed. As a rule he never interfered with the staff; but this time -he affected to see an encroachment on his attributions, an attempt to -over-ride his authority. Was he no longer master in the place, that -they dared to give orders? Everything must pass through his hands, -absolutely everything; and he would immediately crush any one who -should resist. Then, after making personal inquiries, all the while in -a nervous torment which he could not conceal, he again lost his temper. -The poor girl had not lied; it was really her brother. Campion had -fully recognised him. Why had she been sent away, then? He even spoke -of taking her back.</p> - -<p>However, Bourdoncle, strong is his passive resistance, bent before the -storm. He studied Mouret, and one day when he saw him a little calmer -he ventured to say in a meaning voice: "It's better for everybody that -she's gone."</p> - -<p>Mouret stood there looking very awkward, the blood rushing to his face. -"Well!" he replied laughing, "perhaps you're right. Let's go and take a -turn downstairs. Things are looking better, the receipts rose to nearly -a hundred thousand francs yesterday."</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a></h4> - - -<p>For a moment Denise stood bewildered on the pavement, in the sun which -still shone fiercely at five o'clock. The July heat warmed the gutters, -Paris was blazing with that white chalky light of summer-time, whose -reverberations are so blinding. And the catastrophe had fallen on her -so suddenly, they had turned her out so roughly, that she stood there -turning her money over in her pocket in a mechanical way, while she -wondered where she could go, and what she could do.</p> - -<p>A long line of cabs prevented her from quitting the pavement alongside -The Ladies' Paradise. When she at last ventured amongst the wheels -she crossed the Place Gaillon, as if intending to take the Rue -Louis-le-Grand; then altering her mind, she walked towards the Rue -Saint-Roch. But she still had no plan, for she stopped at the corner -of the Rue Neuve-des-Petits-Champs, into which she finally turned, -after looking around her with an undecided air. The Passage Choiseul -opening before her, she passed through it and found herself in the -Rue Monsigny, without knowing how, and ultimately came into the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin again. Her head was full of a fearful buzzing, she -thought of her box on seeing a commissionaire; but where could she have -it sent and why all this trouble, when but an hour ago she had still -had a bed in which to sleep that night?</p> - -<p>Then with her eyes fixed on the houses, she began examining the -windows. There were any number of bills announcing, "Apartments to -Let." But repeatedly overcome by the emotion which was agitating her -whole being she saw them confusedly. Was it possible? Thrown into -solitude so suddenly, lost in this immense city in which she was a -stranger, without support, without resources! She must contrive to -eat and sleep, however. The streets succeeded one another, after the -Rue des Moulins came the Rue Sainte-Anne. She wandered about the -neighbourhood, frequently retracing her steps, indeed always coming -back to the only spot she knew really well. And suddenly she felt quite -astonished for she was again standing before The Ladies' Paradise. -To escape this obsession she hurried into the Rue de la Michodière. -Fortunately Baudu was not at his door. The Old Elbeuf appeared -lifeless, behind its murky windows. She would never have dared to show -herself at her uncle's, for he now always pretended not to recognise -her, and she did not wish to become a burden to him, in the misfortune -which he had predicted to her. However, on the other side of the -street, a yellow bill attracted her attention. "Furnished room to let." -It was the first that did not frighten her, so poor was the aspect -of the house. She soon recognised it, with its two low storeys, and -rusty-coloured front, squeezed between The Ladies' Paradise and the old -Hôtel Duvillard. On the threshold of the umbrella shop, old Bourras, -hairy and bearded like a prophet, and with spectacles on his nose, -stood studying the ivory handle of a walking-stick. Tenanting the whole -house, he under-let the two upper floors furnished, in order to lighten -the rent.</p> - -<p>"You have a room to let, sir?" said Denise, approaching him in -obedience to an instinctive impulse.</p> - -<p>He raised his big bushy eyes, surprised to see her, for he knew all the -young persons at The Ladies' Paradise. And after noticing her clean -little gown and respectable appearance, he replied: "It won't suit you."</p> - -<p>"How much is it, then?" replied Denise.</p> - -<p>"Fifteen francs a month."</p> - -<p>She asked to see it. Then on entering the narrow shop, and observing -that he still eyed her with an astonished air, she told him of her -departure from the Paradise and of her desire not to trouble her uncle. -The old man thereupon fetched a key from a shelf in the back-shop, -a small dark room, where he did his cooking and had his bed; beyond -it, through a dirty window, you could espy a back-yard about six feet -square.</p> - -<p>"I'll walk in front to prevent you from falling," said Bourras, -entering the damp corridor on one side of the shop.</p> - -<p>He stumbled against a stair, and then commenced the ascent, reiterating -his warning to be careful. The rail, said he, was close against the -wall, there was a hole at the corner, sometimes the lodgers left their -dust-boxes there. So complete was the obscurity that Denise could -distinguish nothing, but simply felt how chilly the old damp plaster -was. On the first floor, however, a small window overlooking the yard -enabled her to obtain a vague glimpse of the rotten staircase, the -walls black with dirt and the cracked, discoloured doors.</p> - -<p>"If only one of these rooms were vacant," resumed Bourras. "You would -be very comfortable there. But they are always occupied."</p> - -<p>On the second floor the light increased, illumining with a raw pallor -the distressful aspect of the house. A journeyman-baker occupied the -first room, and it was the other, the further one, that was vacant. -When Bourras had opened the door he was obliged to remain on the -landing in order that Denise might enter with ease. The bed, placed -in the corner nearest the door, left just sufficient room for one -person to pass. At the other end there was a small walnut-wood chest -of drawers, a deal table stained black, and two chairs. Such lodgers -as did any cooking were obliged to kneel before the fire-place, where -there was an earthenware stove.</p> - -<p>"Oh! it's not luxurious," said the old man, "but the view from the -window is gay. You can see the people passing in the street." And, as -Denise gazed with surprise at the ceiling just above the bed, where -a chance lady-lodger had written her name—Ernestine—by drawing the -flame of a candle over the plaster, he added with a smile: "If I did a -lot of repairs, I should never make both ends meet. There you are; it's -all I have to offer."</p> - -<p>"I shall be very well here," declared the young girl.</p> - -<p>She paid a month in advance, asked for the linen—a pair of sheets -and two towels, and made her bed without delay, happy and relieved to -know where she would sleep that night. An hour later she had sent a -commissionaire to fetch her box, and was quite at home.</p> - -<p>During the first two months she had a terribly hard time of it. Being -unable to pay for Pépé's board, she had taken him away, and slept him -on an old couch lent by Bourras. She could not do with less than thirty -sous a day, including the rent, even by living on dry bread herself, -in order to procure a bit of meat for the little one. During the first -fortnight she got on fairly well, having begun her housekeeping with -about ten francs; and then too she was fortunate enough to find the -cravat-dealer, who paid her the eighteen francs six sous which were due -to her. But after that she became completely destitute. In vain did she -apply to the various large shops, the Place Clichy, the Bon Marché, and -the Louvre: the dead season had stopped business everywhere and she -was told to apply again in the autumn. More than five thousand drapery -employees, dismissed like herself, were wandering about Paris in want -of situations. She then tried to obtain work elsewhere; but in her -ignorance of Paris she did not know where to apply, and often accepted -most ungrateful tasks, sometimes not even getting paid. On certain -evenings she merely gave Pépé his dinner, a plate of soup, telling him -that she had dined out; and she would go to bed with her head in a -whirl, nourished by the fever which was burning her hands. When Jean -suddenly dropped into the midst of this poverty, he called himself a -scoundrel with such despairing violence that she was obliged to tell -some falsehood to reassure him; and she even occasionally found the -means to slip a two-franc piece into his hand, by way of proving that -she still had money. She never wept before the children. On Sundays, -when she was able to cook a piece of veal in the stove, on her knees -before the fire, the tiny room re-echoed with the gaiety of children, -careless about existence. Then, when Jean had returned to his master's -and Pépé was asleep, she spent a frightful night, in anguish how to -provide for the coming day.</p> - -<p>Other fears kept her awake. Two women lodging on the first floor -received visitors; and sometimes these visitors mistook the floor and -came banging at Denise's door. Bourras having quietly told her not to -answer, she buried her face under her pillow to escape hearing their -oaths. Then, too, her neighbour, the baker, who never came home till -morning, had shown a disposition to annoy her. But she suffered still -more from the annoyances of the street, the continual persecution of -passers-by. She could not go downstairs to buy a candle, in those -streets swarming with debauchees, without feeling a man's hot breath -behind her, and hearing crude, insulting remarks; and some individuals -pursued her to the very end of the dark passage, encouraged by the -sordid appearance of the house. Why had she no lover? It astonished -people and seemed ridiculous. She herself could not have explained why -she resisted, menaced as she was by hunger, and perturbed by all the -sexuality in the air around her.</p> - -<p>One evening when Denise had not even any bread for Pépé's soup, a -well-dressed man, wearing a decoration, commenced to follow her. On -reaching the passage he became brutal, and it was with loathing and -revolt that she banged the door in his face. Then, once more upstairs, -she sat down, with her hands trembling. The little one was sleeping. -What should she say if he woke up and asked her for bread? And yet had -she chosen her misery would have ceased, she could have had money, -dresses, and a fine room. It was very simple, every one came to that, -it was said; for a woman alone in Paris could not live by her labour. -But her whole being rose up in protest, against the disgrace of the -thing. She considered life a matter of logic, good conduct, and courage.</p> - -<p>Denise frequently questioned herself in this way. An old love story -floated in her memory, the story of a sailor's betrothed whom her -love guarded from all perils. At Valognes she had often hummed this -sentimental ballad whilst gazing into the deserted street. Had she -likewise some tender affection in her heart that she proved so brave? -She still thought of Hutin, full of uneasiness. Morning and evening she -saw him pass under her window. Now that he was second-hand he walked by -himself, saluted with respect by the mere salesmen. He never raised his -head, and she thought she suffered from his vanity. Still she watched -him without fear of being discovered; whereas, as soon as she saw -Mouret, who also passed every day, she began to tremble, and quickly -concealed herself, her bosom heaving. He had no need to know where she -was lodging. And then she would feel ashamed of the house, and suffer -at the idea of what he must think of her, although perhaps they would -never meet again.</p> - -<p>Denise still lived amidst all the hubbub of The Ladies' Paradise. -A mere wall separated her room from her old department; and, from -early morning, she lived her old days afresh, divining and hearing -the arrival of the crowd and the increasing bustle of business. The -slightest noise shook the old hovel which clung to the side of the -colossus, and shared in its pulsations. Moreover, she could not -avoid certain meetings. She twice had found herself face to face -with Pauline, who had offered her services, grieved to see her so -unfortunate; and she had even been obliged to tell a falsehood to avoid -receiving her friend or paying her a visit, one Sunday, at Baugé's. But -it was more difficult still for her to defend herself against Deloche's -desperate affection; aware of all her troubles, he watched her, waited -for her in the doorways. One day he wanted to lend her thirty francs, a -brother's savings, he said, with a blush. And these meetings made her -regret the shop, and continually brought her back to thoughts of the -life the others led there, as if she herself had not quitted it.</p> - -<p>No one had ever called upon her till one afternoon when she was -surprised by a knock. It was Colomban. She received him standing. For -his part he seemed greatly embarrassed and began stammering, asking how -she was getting on, and speaking of The Old Elbeuf. Perhaps, thought -she, it was Uncle Baudu who had sent him, regretting his rigour; for -he continued to pass her without taking any notice of her, although he -was well aware of her miserable position. However, when she plainly -questioned her visitor, he appeared more embarrassed than ever. No, -no, it was not the governor who had sent him; and he finished by -naming Clara—he simply wanted to talk about Clara. Then little by -little he grew bolder, and asked Denise's advice, imagining no doubt -that she might be willing to play the part of a go-between. And it -was in vain that she tried to dishearten him, by reproaching him with -the pain he was causing Geneviève for such a heartless girl. He came -up another day, indeed got into the habit of coming to see her. This -seemed to suffice for his timid passion; he continually began the same -conversation afresh, unable to resist the impulse and trembling with -joy at finding himself with one who had approached Clara. And all this -caused Denise to live more than ever at The Ladies' Paradise.</p> - -<p>Towards the end of September the poor girl experienced the blackest -misery. Pépé had fallen ill, having caught a severe cold. He ought to -have had plenty of good broth, and she had not even a piece of bread to -give him. One evening, completely conquered, she was sobbing, in one of -those despairing straits which drive women on to the streets, or into -the Seine, when old Bourras gently knocked at the door. He had brought -with him a loaf, and a milk-can full of broth.</p> - -<p>"There! there's something for the youngster," said he in his abrupt -way. "Don't cry like that; it annoys my lodgers." And as she thanked -him with a fresh outburst of tears, he resumed: "Do keep quiet! Come -and see me to-morrow. I've some work for you."</p> - -<p>Since the terrible blow which The Ladies' Paradise had dealt him by -opening an umbrella department, Bourras had ceased to employ any -workwomen. In order to save expenses he did everything himself, -cleaning, mending, and sewing. His trade moreover was diminishing -to such a point that he sometimes remained without work. And so he -was obliged to invent some occupation on the following day when he -installed Denise in a corner of his shop. He felt, however, that he -could not allow any one to die of hunger in his house.</p> - -<p>"You'll have two francs a day," said he. "When you find something -better, you can leave me."</p> - -<p>She was afraid of him, and did the work so quickly that he was -embarrassed to find her more. He had given her some silk to stitch, -some lace to repair. During the first few days she did not dare to -raise her head, uneasy at feeling him near her, with his lion-like -mane, hooked nose, and piercing eyes, shaded by bushy brows. His -voice was harsh, his gestures were extravagant, and the mothers of -the neighbourhood often frightened their youngsters by threatening to -send for him, as they would for a policeman. However, the boys never -passed his door without calling out some insulting words, which he did -not even seem to hear. All his maniacal anger was directed against the -scoundrels who dishonoured his trade by selling cheap trashy articles, -which dogs, said he, would not consent to use.</p> - -<p>Denise trembled whenever he burst out thus: "Art is done for, I tell -you! There's not a single respectable handle made nowadays. They make -sticks, but as for handles, it's all up! Bring me a proper handle, and -I'll give you twenty francs!"</p> - -<p>He had a real artist's pride; not a workman in Paris was capable of -turning out a handle like his, as light and as strong. He carved the -knobs with charming ingenuity, continually inventing fresh designs, -flowers, fruit, animals, and heads, all executed in a free and -life-like style. A little pocket-knife sufficed him and, with his -spectacles on his nose he would spend whole days in chipping bits of -boxwood and ebony.</p> - -<p>"A pack of ignorant beggars," said he, "who are satisfied with sticking -a certain quantity of silk on so much whalebone! They buy their handles -by the gross, handles ready-made. And they sell just what they like! I -tell you, art is done for!"</p> - -<p>At last Denise began to feel easier. He had desired that Pépé should -come down into the shop to play, for he was wonderfully fond of -children. When the little one was crawling about on all-fours, neither -of them had room to move. She sat in her corner doing the mending, he -near the window, carving away with his little knife. Every day now -brought round the same work and the same conversation. Whilst working, -he would continually assail The Ladies' Paradise; never weary of -explaining how affairs stood in the terrible duel between that bazaar -and himself. He had occupied his house since 1845, and had a thirty -years' lease of it at a rent of eighteen hundred francs a year; and, as -he made a thousand francs out of his four furnished rooms, he only paid -eight hundred for the shop. It was a mere trifle, he had no expenses, -and could thus hold out for a long time still. To hear him, there was -no doubt about his eventual triumph; he would certainly swallow up the -monster. Then suddenly he would break off to ask:</p> - -<p>"Have they got any dog's heads like that?"</p> - -<p>And he would blink his eyes behind his glasses, whilst judging the -dog's head which he was carving, with its lip turned up and its fangs -displayed, in a life-like growl. Pépé delighted with the dog, would -thereupon get up, resting his two little arms on the old man's knee.</p> - -<p>"As long as I make both ends meet I don't care a hang about the rest," -the latter resumed, whilst delicately shaping the dog's tongue with the -point of his knife. "The scoundrels have taken away my profits; but -if I'm making nothing I'm not losing anything yet, or at least only a -trifle. And, you see, I'm ready to sacrifice everything rather than -yield."</p> - -<p>Thereupon he would brandish his knife, and his white hair would blow -about in a storm of anger.</p> - -<p>"But if they made you a reasonable offer," Denise would mildly observe, -without raising her eyes from her needle, "it would be wiser to accept -it."</p> - -<p>This suggestion, however, only produced an outburst of ferocious -obstinacy. "Never! If my head were under the knife I should still say -no, by heavens I would! I've another ten years' lease, and they shan't -have the house before then, even if I should have to die of hunger -within the four bare walls. Twice already they've tried to get over me. -They offered me twelve thousand francs for my good-will, and eighteen -thousand francs for the last ten years of my lease; in all thirty -thousand. But no, no—not for fifty thousand even! I have them in my -power, and intend to see them licking the dust before me!"</p> - -<p>"Thirty thousand francs! it's a good sum," thereupon resumed Denise. -"You could go and establish yourself elsewhere. And suppose they were -to buy the house?"</p> - -<p>Bourras, now putting the finishing touches to his dog's tongue, -appeared absorbed for a moment, a childish laugh pervading his -venerable, prophet's face. Then he continued: "The house, no fear! They -spoke of buying it last year, and offered eighty thousand francs, twice -as much as it's worth. But the landlord, a retired fruiterer, as big a -scoundrel as they, wanted to make them shell out more. Besides, they -are suspicious about me; they know I should then be even less inclined -to give way. No! no! here I am, and here I intend to stay. The emperor -with all his cannon could not turn me out."</p> - -<p>Denise did not dare to say any more, but went on with her work, whilst -the old man continued to vent short sentences, between two cuts of his -knife; now muttering something to the effect that the game had hardly -begun; and then that they would see wonderful things later on, for he -had certain plans which would sweep their umbrella counter away; and, -deeply blended with his obstinacy, you detected the personal revolt of -the skilled manufacturer against the growing invasion of commonplace -rubbish. Pépé, however, at last climbed on his knees, and impatiently -stretched out his hands towards the dog's head.</p> - -<p>"Give it me, sir."</p> - -<p>"Presently, youngster," the old man replied in a voice that suddenly -became softer. "He hasn't any eyes as yet; we must make his eyes now." -And whilst carving the eyes he continued talking to Denise. "Do you -hear them? Isn't there a roar next door? That's what exasperates me -more than anything, my word of honour! to have them always on my back -like this with their infernal locomotive-like noise."</p> - -<p>It made his little table tremble, he asserted. The whole shop was -shaken, and he would spend the entire afternoon without a customer of -his own but amidst all the trepidation of the jostling multitude in The -Ladies' Paradise. From morning to night this was a subject for eternal -grumbling. Another good day's work; they were knocking against the -wall, the silk department must have cleared ten thousand francs; or -else he made merry, not a sound came from behind the wall, a showery -day had killed the receipts. And the slightest stir, the faintest -vibration, thus furnished him with matter for endless comment.</p> - -<p>"Did you hear? some one has slipped down! Ah, if they could only all -fall and break their backs!—That, my dear, is a dispute between -some ladies. So much the better! So much the better!—Ah! you hear -the parcels falling into the basement? What a row they make. It's -disgusting!"</p> - -<p>It did not do for Denise to discuss his remarks, for he bitterly -retorted by reminding her of the shameful way in which she had been -dismissed. For the hundredth time she was obliged to relate her life -in the jacket and mantle department, the hardships she had at first -endured, the small unhealthy bedrooms, the bad food, and the continual -battle between the salesmen; and thus they would talk about the shop -from morning to night, absorbing it hourly in the very air they -breathed.</p> - -<p>But with eager, outstretched hands Pépé repeated: "Give it me, sir, -give it me!"</p> - -<p>The dog's head was finished and Bourras held it at a distance, then -examined it closely with noisy glee. "Take care, it will bite you!" he -said, "there, go and play, and don't break it, if you can help it." -Then speedily reverting to his fixed idea, he shook his fist at the -wall. "You may do all you can to knock the house down," he exclaimed. -"You shan't have it, even if you invade the whole street!"</p> - -<p>Denise now had something to eat each day, and she was extremely -grateful to the old umbrella-dealer, realizing that he had a good heart -beneath his strange, violent ways. Nevertheless she felt a strong -desire to find some work elsewhere, for she often saw him inventing -some trifle for her to do and fully understood that he did not require -a workwoman in the present collapse of his business, and was merely -employing her out of charity. Six months had passed thus, and the dull -winter season having again returned, she was despairing of finding a -situation before March, when, one evening in January, Deloche, who was -watching for her in a doorway, gave her a bit of advice. Why did she -not call on Robineau; perhaps he might want some one?</p> - -<p>During the previous September, Robineau, though fearing to jeopardize -his wife's sixty thousand francs, had made up his mind to buy Vinçard's -silk-business. He had paid forty thousand for the good-will and stock, -and was starting with the remaining twenty thousand. It was not much, -but he had Gaujean behind him to back him up with any amount of credit. -Gaujean ever since his quarrel with The Ladies' Paradise had been -longing to stir up competitors against the colossus; and he thought -victory certain, by creating special shops in the neighbourhood, where -the public would find a large and varied choice of articles. Only the -very rich Lyons manufacturers, such as Dumonteil, could accept the -big shops' terms, satisfied to keep their looms going with them, and -seeking their profits in their sales to less important establishments. -But Gaujean was far from having the solidity and staying power -possessed by Dumonteil. For a long time a mere commission agent, it -was only during the last five or six years that he had possessed looms -of his own, and he still had a lot of his work done by piece-workers, -furnishing them with the raw material and paying them by the yard. It -was precisely this system which, increasing his manufacturing expenses, -had prevented him from competing with Dumonteil for the supply of the -Paris Delight. This had filled him with rancour, and he saw in Robineau -the instrument of a decisive battle with those drapery bazaars which he -accused of ruining French manufactures.</p> - -<p>When Denise called she found Madame Robineau alone. Daughter of an -overseer in the Highways and Bridges Service, entirely ignorant -of business matters, the young wife still retained the charming -awkwardness of a girl educated in a convent. She was dark, very pretty, -with a gentle, cheerful manner, which made her extremely charming. -Moreover she adored her husband, living solely by his love. Just as -Denise was about to leave her name Robineau himself came in, and at -once engaged her, one of his two saleswomen having left him on the -previous day to go to The Ladies' Paradise.</p> - -<p>"They don't leave us a single good hand," said he. "However, I shall -feel quite easy with you, for you are like me, you can't be very fond -of them. Come to-morrow."</p> - -<p>In the evening Denise hardly knew how to announce her departure to -Bourras. In fact, he called her an ungrateful girl, and lost his -temper. And when, with tears in her eyes, she tried to defend herself -by intimating that she could see through his charitable conduct, he -softened down, stammered that he had plenty of work, that she was -leaving him indeed just as he was about to bring out a new umbrella of -his invention.</p> - -<p>"And Pépé?" he asked.</p> - -<p>This was Denise's great trouble; she dared not take him back to Madame -Gras, and could not leave him alone in the bedroom, shut up from -morning to night.</p> - -<p>"Very good, I'll keep him," said the old man; "he'll be all right in -my shop. We'll do the cooking together." And then as she refused the -offer fearing that it might inconvenience him, he thundered out: "Great -heavens! have you no confidence in me? I shan't eat your child!"</p> - -<p>Denise was much happier at Robineau's. He only paid her sixty francs -a month, with her board, without giving her any commission on the -sales, that not being the rule in the old-fashioned houses; but she -was treated with great kindness, especially by Madame Robineau who was -always smiling at her counter. He, nervous and worried, was sometimes -rather abrupt. At the expiration of the first month, Denise had -become quite one of the family, like the other saleswoman, a silent, -consumptive, little body. The Robineaus were not at all particular -before them, but freely talked of the business whilst at table in the -back-shop, which looked on to a large yard. And it was there they -decided one evening to start the campaign against The Ladies' Paradise. -Gaujean had come to dinner and, after the roast leg of mutton, had -broached the subject in his Lyonese voice, thickened by the Rhône fogs.</p> - -<p>"It's getting unbearable," said he. "They go to Dumonteil, purchase the -sole right to a design, and take three hundred pieces straight off, -insisting on a reduction of half a franc a yard; and, as they pay ready -money, they also secure the profit of eighteen per cent. discount. Very -often Dumonteil barely makes four sous a yard out of it. He simply -works to keep his looms going, for a loom that stands still is a dead -loss. Under these circumstances how can you expect that we, with our -limited plant, and our piece-workers, can keep up the struggle?"</p> - -<p>Robineau, pensive, forgot his dinner. "Three hundred pieces!" he -murmured. "I tremble when I take a dozen, and at ninety days too. -They can sell at a franc or two francs cheaper than we can. I have -calculated that their catalogued articles are offered at fifteen per -cent. less than our own prices. That's what kills the small Houses."</p> - -<p>He was passing through a period of discouragement. His wife, full of -anxiety, looked at him with a loving air. She understood very little -about the business, all these figures confused her; she could not -understand why people worried over things so much, when it was so easy -to be gay and love one another. However, it sufficed that her husband -desired to conquer, and she became as impassioned as he himself, and -would have stood to her counter till death.</p> - -<p>"But why don't all the manufacturers come to an understanding -together?" resumed Robineau, violently. "They could then lay down the -law, instead of submitting to it."</p> - -<p>Gaujean, who had asked for another slice of mutton, was slowly chewing. -"Ah! why, why? The looms must be kept going, I tell you. When you have -weavers a little bit everywhere, in the neighbourhood of Lyons, in the -Gard, in the Isère, you can't stand still a day without an enormous -loss. Then we who sometimes employ piece-workers with ten or fifteen -looms of their own are better able to control our output, whereas the -big manufacturers are obliged to have continual outlets, the quickest -and most extensive possible. And so they are on their knees before the -big shops. I know three or four who out-bid each other, and who would -sooner work at a loss than not obtain the orders. But they make up for -it with the small establishments like yours. Yes, if they manage to -live through the big places, they make their profit out of you little -fellows. Heaven knows how the crisis will end!"</p> - -<p>"It's odious!" exclaimed Robineau, relieved by this cry of anger.</p> - -<p>Denise was quietly listening. With her instinctive love of logic and -life she was secretly in favour of the big shops.</p> - -<p>They had relapsed into silence, and were eating some preserved French -beans, when at last she ventured to remark in a cheerful tone: "The -public does not complain."</p> - -<p>At this Madame Robineau could not restrain a little laugh, which -annoyed both her husband and Gaujean. No doubt the customer was -satisfied, for, in the end, it was the customer who profited by -the fall in prices. But everybody must live; where would they all -be if, under the pretext of conducing to the general welfare, the -consumer was fattened at the expense of the producer? And then began -a long discussion. Denise affected to be joking, though all the -while producing solid arguments. By the new system the middle-men -disappeared, and this greatly contributed to cheapen the articles; -besides, the manufacturers could no longer live without the big -shops, for as soon as one of them lost their custom, failure became a -certainty; in short, it was a natural commercial evolution. It would -be impossible to prevent things from going on as they ought to, when -everybody was working towards that result, whether they liked it or not.</p> - -<p>"So you are for those who turned you out into the street?" thereupon -asked Gaujean.</p> - -<p>Denise became very red. She herself was surprised at the vivacity of -her defence. What had she at heart, that such a flame should have risen -in her breast?</p> - -<p>"Dear me, no!" she replied. "Perhaps I'm wrong, for you are more -competent to judge than I. I simply express my opinion. The prices, -instead of being settled by fifty houses as they formerly used to be, -are now fixed by four or five, which have lowered them, thanks to the -power of their capital, and the strength of their immense custom. So -much the better for the public, that's all!"</p> - -<p>Robineau was not angry, but had become grave, and had fixed his eyes -on the table-cloth. He had often felt the force of the new style of -business, the evolution which the young girl spoke about; and in his -clear, quiet moments he would ask himself why he should try to resist -such a powerful current, which must carry everything before it. Madame -Robineau herself, on seeing her husband deep in thought, glanced with -approval at Denise, who had modestly resumed her silent attitude.</p> - -<p>"Come," resumed Gaujean, to cut short the argument, "all that is simply -theory. Let's talk of our matter."</p> - -<p>After the cheese, the servant brought in some jam and some pears. He -took some jam, and ate it with a spoon, with the unconscious greediness -of a big man very fond sweet things.</p> - -<p>"This is it," he resumed, "you must attack their Paris Delight, which -has been their success of the year. I have come to an understanding -with several of my brother manufacturers at Lyons, and have brought you -an exceptional offer—a black silk, a faille which you can sell at five -francs fifty centimes a mêtre. They sell theirs at five francs sixty, -don't they? Well! this will be two sous cheaper, and that will suffice -to upset them."</p> - -<p>At this Robineau's eyes lighted up again. In his continual nervous -torment, he often skipped like this from despair to hope. "Have you -got a sample?" he asked. And when Gaujean drew from his pocket-book a -little square of silk, he went into raptures, exclaiming: "Why, this -is a handsomer silk than the Paris Delight! At all events it produces -a better effect, the grain is coarser. You are right, we must make the -attempt. Ah! I'll bring them to my feet or give up for good!"</p> - -<p>Madame Robineau, sharing the enthusiasm, declared the silk superb, -and even Denise herself thought they might succeed. The latter part -of the dinner thus proved very gay. They talked in a loud tone; it -seemed as if The Ladies' Paradise was at its last gasp. Gaujean, who -was finishing the pot of jam, explained what enormous sacrifices he -and his colleagues would be obliged to make to deliver an article of -such quality at so low a price; but they would ruin themselves rather -than yield; they had sworn to kill the big shops. As the coffee came in -the gaiety was still further increased by the arrival of Vinçard who -called, on his way past, just to see how his successor was getting on.</p> - -<p>"Famous!" he cried, feeling the silk. "You'll floor them, I stake my -life! Ah! you owe me a rare good thing; I told you that this was a -golden affair!"</p> - -<p>He had just taken a restaurant at Vincennes. It was an old, cherished -idea of his, slyly nurtured while he was struggling with his silk -business, trembling with fear lest he should not sell it before the -crash came, and vowing that he would afterwards put his money into -some undertaking where he could rob folks at his ease. The idea of a -restaurant had struck him at the wedding of a cousin, who had been -made to pay ten francs for a tureen of dish water, in which floated -some Italian paste. And, in presence of the Robineaus, the joy he felt -at having saddled them with an unremunerative business, which he had -despaired of getting rid of, made his face with its round eyes and -large loyal-looking mouth, a face beaming with health, expand as it had -never done before.</p> - -<p>"And your pains?" asked Madame Robineau, good-naturedly.</p> - -<p>"My pains?" he murmured, in astonishment.</p> - -<p>"Yes, those rheumatic pains which tormented you so much when you were -here."</p> - -<p>He then recollected the fibs he had told and slightly coloured. "Oh! -I suffer from them still!" said he. "But the country air, you know, -has done me a deal of good. Never mind, on your side you've done a -good stroke of business. Had it not been for my rheumatics, I could -soon have retired with ten thousand francs a year. Yes, on my word of -honour!"</p> - -<p>A fortnight later, the battle between Robineau and The Ladies' Paradise -began. It became celebrated, and for a time occupied the whole Parisian -market. Robineau, using his adversary's weapons, had advertised -extensively in the newspapers. Besides that, he made a fine display, -piling huge bales of the famous silk in his windows and displaying -immense white tickets, on which the price, five francs and a half per -mêtre, appeared in gigantic figures. It was this price that caused a -revolution among the women; it was two sous less than that charged at -The Ladies' Paradise, and the silk appeared more substantial. From the -first day a crowd of customers flocked in. Madame Marty bought a dress -she did not need, pretending it to be a bargain; Madame Bourdelais -also thought the silk very fine, but preferred waiting, guessing -no doubt what would happen. And, indeed during the following week, -Mouret boldly reduced the price of The Paris Delight by four sous, -after a lively discussion with Bourdoncle and the other managers, -in which he had succeeded in convincing them that they must accept -the challenge, even at a sacrifice; for these four sous represented -a dead loss, the silk being already sold at strict cost price. It -was a heavy blow to Robineau, who had not imagined that his rival -would lower his price; for this suicidal style of competition, this -practice of selling at a loss, was then unknown. However, the tide -of customers, attracted by Mouret's cheapness, had immediately flown -back towards the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, whilst the shop in the Rue -Neuve-des-Petits-Champs gradually emptied.</p> - -<p>Gaujean then hastened from Lyons; there were hurried confabulations, -and they finished by coming to a heroic resolution; the silk should -be lowered in price, they would sell it at five francs six sous, and -lower than that no one could go, without acting madly. But the next -day Mouret marked his material at five francs four sous. Then the -struggle became rageful. Robineau replied by five francs three sous, -whereupon Mouret at once ticketed The Paris Delight at five francs and -two sous. Neither lowered more than a sou at a time now, for both lost -considerable sums as often as they made this present to the public. -The customers laughed, delighted with this duel, quite stirred by the -terrible thrusts which the rivals dealt one another in order to please -them. At last Mouret ventured as low as five francs; and his staff -paled and shuddered at such a challenge to fortune. Robineau, utterly -beaten, out of breath, also stopped at five francs, not having the -courage to go any lower. And thus they rested on their positions, face -to face, with the massacre of their goods around them.</p> - -<p>But if honour was saved on both sides, the situation was becoming -fatal for Robineau. The Ladies' Paradise had money at its disposal -and a patronage which enabled it to balance its profits; whereas he, -sustained by Gaujean alone, unable to recoup his losses by gaining on -other articles, found himself nearing the end of his tether, slipping -further and further down the slope toward bankruptcy. He was dying from -his hardihood, despite the numerous customers whom the hazards of the -struggle had brought him. One of his secret worries was to see these -customers slowly quitting him, returning to The Ladies' Paradise, after -all the money he had lost in the efforts he had made to secure them.</p> - -<p>One day he quite lost patience. A customer, Madame de Boves, had -called at his shop for some mantles, for he had added a ready-made -department to his business. She would not come to a decision, however, -but complained of the quality of the material, and at last exclaimed: -"Their Paris Delight is a great deal stronger."</p> - -<p>Robineau restrained himself, assuring her that she was mistaken with a -tradesman's politeness, all the more respectful, moreover, as he feared -to reveal his inward revolt.</p> - -<p>"But just look at the silk of this cloak!" she resumed, "one would -really take it for so much cobweb. You may say what you like, sir, but -their silk at five francs is like leather compared with this."</p> - -<p>He did not reply; with the blood rushing to his face, he kept his lips -tightly closed. In point of fact he had ingeniously thought of buying -some of his rival's silk for these mantles; so that it was Mouret, not -he, who lost on the material. And to conceal his practice he simply cut -off the selvage.</p> - -<p>"Really," he murmured at last, "you think the Paris Delight thicker?"</p> - -<p>"Oh! a hundred times!" said Madame de Boves. "There's no comparison."</p> - -<p>This injustice on her part, this fixed determination to run down the -goods in spite of all evidence filled him with indignation. And, as she -was still turning the mantle over with a disgusted air, a little bit of -the blue and silver selvage, which through carelessness had not been -cut off, appeared under the lining. Thereupon he could not restrain -himself any longer; but confessed the truth at all hazards.</p> - -<p>"Well, madame, this is Paris Delight. I bought it myself! Look at the -selvage."</p> - -<p>Madame de Boves went away greatly annoyed, and a number of customers -quitted him, for the affair became known. And he, amid this ruin, when -fear for the future came upon him, only trembled for his wife, who had -been brought up in a happy, peaceful home, and would never be able to -endure a life of poverty. What would become of her if a catastrophe -should throw them into the street, with a load of debts? It was his -fault, he ought never to have touched her money. She was obliged to -comfort him. Wasn't the money as much his as hers? He loved her dearly, -and she wanted nothing more; she gave him everything, her heart and her -life. They could be heard embracing one another in the back shop. Then, -little by little, the affairs of the house got into a regular groove; -each month the losses increased, but with a slowness which postponed -the fatal issue. A tenacious hope sustained them, and they still -predicted the approaching discomfiture of The Ladies' Paradise.</p> - -<p>"Pooh!" he would say, "we are young yet. The future is ours."</p> - -<p>"And besides, what matters, if you have done what you wanted to do?" -she resumed. "As long as you are satisfied, I am as well, darling."</p> - -<p>Denise's affection for them increased on seeing their tenderness. -She trembled, divining their inevitable fall; however, she dared not -interfere. And it was here that she ended by fully understanding the -power of the new system of business, and became impassioned for this -force which was transforming Paris. Her ideas were ripening, a woman's -grace was being evolved from the wildness of a child freshly arrived -from Valognes. Her life too was a pretty pleasant one, notwithstanding -its fatigue and the little money she earned. When she had spent all -the day on her feet, she had to go straight home, and look after Pépé, -whom old Bourras fortunately insisted on feeding; but there was still -a lot to do; a shirt to wash, a blouse to mend; without mentioning the -noise made by the youngster, which made her head ache fit to split. -She never went to bed before midnight. Sunday was her hardest day: for -she then cleaned her room, and mended her own things, so busy that it -was often five o'clock before she could comb her hair. However, she -sometimes went out for health's sake, taking the little one for a long -walk, out towards Neuilly; and their treat over there was to drink a -cup of milk at a dairyman's, who allowed them to sit down in his yard. -Jean disdained these excursions; he put in an appearance now and again -on week-day evenings and then disappeared, pretending he had other -visits to pay. He asked for no more money, but he arrived with such a -melancholy countenance, that his anxious sister always managed to keep -a five-franc piece for him. That was her sole luxury.</p> - -<p>"Five francs!" he would exclaim each time. "My stars! you're too good! -It just happens, there's the——"</p> - -<p>"Not another word," Denise would say; "I don't want to know."</p> - -<p>Three months passed away, spring was coming back. However Denise -refused to return to Joinville with Pauline and Baugé. She sometimes -met them in the Rue Saint-Roch, on leaving the shop in the evening. -Pauline, on one occasion when she was alone, confided to her that she -was perhaps going to marry her lover; it was she who was hesitating, -for they did not care for married saleswomen at The Ladies' Paradise. -This idea of marriage surprised Denise and she did not dare to advise -her friend. Then one day, just as Colomban had stopped her near the -fountain to talk about Clara, the latter tripped across the road; and -Denise was obliged to run away, for he implored her to ask her old -comrade if she would marry him. What was the matter with them all? why -were they tormenting themselves like this? She thought herself very -fortunate not to be in love with anybody.</p> - -<p>"You've heard the news?" the umbrella dealer said to her one evening on -her return from business.</p> - -<p>"No, Monsieur Bourras."</p> - -<p>"Well! the scoundrels have bought the Hôtel Duvillard. I'm hemmed in on -all sides!" He was waving his long arms about, in a burst of fury which -made his white mane stand up on end. "A regular underhand affair," -he resumed. "But it seems that the hotel belonged to the Crédit -Immobilier, whose president, Baron Hartmann, has just sold it to our -famous Mouret. And now they've got me on the right, on the left, and at -the back, just in the way that I'm holding the knob of this stick in my -hand!"</p> - -<p>It was true, the sale must have been concluded on the previous day. -Bourras's small house, hemmed in between The Ladies' Paradise and the -Hôtel Duvillard, clinging there like a swallow's nest in a crack of -a wall, seemed certain to be crushed, as soon as the shop galleries -should invade the hôtel. And the time had now arrived, the colossus had -outflanked the feeble obstacle, and was investing it with its piles of -goods, threatening to swallow it up, absorb it by the sole force of -its giant aspiratory powers. Bourras could well feel the close embrace -which was making his shop creak. He thought he could see the place -getting smaller; he was afraid of being absorbed himself, of being -carried off into kingdom come with his sticks and umbrellas, so loudly -was the terrible machine now roaring.</p> - -<p>"Do you hear them?" he asked. "One would think they were eating the -very walls! And in my cellar and in the attic, everywhere, there's the -same noise—like that of a saw cutting through the plaster. But never -mind! They won't flatten me as easily as they might a sheet of paper. I -shall stick here, even if they blow up my roof, and the rain falls in -bucketfuls on my bed!"</p> - -<p>It was just at this moment that Mouret caused fresh proposals to -be made to Bourras; they would increase the figure of their offer, -they would give him fifty thousand francs for his good-will and the -remainder of his lease. But this offer redoubled the old man's anger; -he refused in an insulting manner. How those scoundrels must rob people -to be able to pay fifty thousand francs for a thing which wasn't worth -ten thousand! And he defended his shop as a young girl defends her -virtue, for honour's sake.</p> - -<p>Denise noticed that Bourras was pre-occupied during the next fortnight. -He wandered about in a feverish manner, measuring the walls of his -house, surveying it from the middle of the street with the air of -an architect. Then one morning some workmen arrived. This was the -decisive blow. He had conceived the bold idea of beating The Ladies' -Paradise on its own ground by making certain concessions to modern -luxury. Customers, who had often reproached him for the darkness of -his shop, would certainly come back to it again, when they saw it -all bright and new. In the first place, the workmen stopped up the -crevices and whitewashed the frontage, then they painted the woodwork -a light green, and even carried the splendour so far as to gild the -sign-board. A sum of three thousand francs, held in reserve by Bourras -as a last resource, was swallowed up in this way. Moreover, the whole -neighbourhood was revolutionized by it all, people came to look at -him losing his head amid all these riches, and no longer able to find -the things he was accustomed to. He did not seem to be at home in -that bright frame, that tender setting; he looked quite scared, with -his long beard and white hair. On the opposite side of the street -passers-by lingered in astonishment at seeing him waving his arms -about while he carved his handles. And he was in a state of fever, -perpetually afraid of dirtying his shop, more and more at sea amidst -this luxury which he did not at all understand.</p> - -<p>Meantime, as at Robineau's, so at Bourras's was the campaign against -The Ladies' Paradise carried on. Bourras had just brought out his -invention, the automatic umbrella, which later on was to become -popular. But The Paradise people immediately improved on the invention, -and a struggle of prices began. Bourras had an article at one franc -and nineteen sous, in zanella, with a steel mounting, an everlasting -article said the ticket. But he was especially anxious to vanquish his -competitors with his handles of bamboo, dogwood, olive, myrtle, rattan, -indeed every imaginable sort of handle. The Paradise people, less -artistic, paid more attention to the material, extolling their alpacas -and mohairs, twills and sarcenets. And they came out victorious. -Bourras, in despair, repeated that art was done for, that he was -reduced to carving his handles for the pleasure of doing so, without -any hope of selling them.</p> - -<p>"It's my fault!" he cried to Denise. "I never ought to have kept a lot -of rotten articles, at one franc nineteen sous! That's where these new -notions lead one to. I wanted to follow the example of those brigands; -so much the better if I'm ruined by it!"</p> - -<p>The month of July proved very warm, and Denise suffered greatly in her -tiny room under the roof. So, after leaving the shop, she sometimes -went to fetch Pépé, and instead of going up-stairs at once, took a -stroll in the Tuileries Gardens until the gates closed. One evening -as she was walking towards the chestnut-trees she suddenly stopped -short with surprise: for a few yards off, coming straight towards her, -she fancied she recognised Hutin. But her heart commenced to beat -violently. It was Mouret, who had dined on the other side of the river -and was hurrying along on foot to call on Madame Desforges. At the -abrupt movement which she made to escape him, he caught sight of her. -The night was coming on, but still he recognised her clearly.</p> - -<p>"Ah, it's you, mademoiselle!" he said.</p> - -<p>She did not reply, astonished that he should deign to stop. He, -smiling, concealed his constraint beneath an air of amiable protection. -"You are still in Paris?" he inquired.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," said she at last.</p> - -<p>She was slowly drawing back, desirous of making a bow and continuing -her walk. But he abruptly turned and followed her under the dark -shadows of the chestnut-trees. The air was getting cooler, some -children were laughing in the distance, while trundling their hoops.</p> - -<p>"This is your brother, is it not?" he resumed, looking at Pépé.</p> - -<p>The little boy, frightened by the unusual presence of a gentleman, was -walking gravely by his sister's side, holding her tightly by the hand.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," she replied once more; and as she did so she blushed, -thinking of the abominable inventions circulated by Marguerite and -Clara.</p> - -<p>No doubt Mouret understood why she was blushing, for he quickly added: -"Listen, mademoiselle, I have to apologize to you. Yes, I should -have been happy to have told you sooner how much I regret the error -that was made. You were accused too lightly of a fault. However, the -evil is done. I simply wanted to assure you that every one in our -establishment now knows of your affection for your brothers." Then he -went on speaking with a respectful politeness to which the saleswomen -of The Ladies' Paradise were little accustomed. Denise's confusion had -increased; but her heart was full of joy. He knew, then, that she had -ever remained virtuous! Both remained silent; he still lingered beside -her, regulating his walk to the child's short steps; and the distant -murmurs of the city died away under the black shadows of the spreading -chestnut-trees. "I have only one reparation to offer you," he resumed. -"Naturally, if you would like to come back to us——"</p> - -<p>But she interrupted him, refusing his offer with a feverish haste. -"No, sir, I cannot. Thank you all the same, but I have found another -situation."</p> - -<p>He knew it, they had informed him she was with Robineau; and leisurely, -putting himself on a footing of amiable equality, he spoke of the -latter, rendering him full justice. He was a very intelligent fellow, -no doubt, but too nervous. He would certainly come to grief: Gaujean -had burdened him with a very heavy business, in which they would both -suffer. Thereupon Denise, subjugated by this familiarity, opened her -mind further, and allowed it to be seen that she was on the side of -the big shops in the war between them and the small traders. She grew -animated, citing examples, showing herself well up in the question -and even expressing new and enlightened ideas. He, quite charmed, -listened to her in surprise; and turned round, trying to distinguish -her features in the growing darkness. She appeared to be still the -same with her simple dress and sweet face; but from amidst her modest -bashfulness, there seemed to ascend a penetrating perfume, of which he -felt the powerful influence. Doubtless this little girl had got used to -the atmosphere of Paris, she was becoming quite a woman, and was really -perturbing, with her sound common-sense and her beautiful sweet-scented -hair.</p> - -<p>"As you are on our side," said he, laughing, "why do you stay with our -adversaries? I was told too that you lodged with Bourras."</p> - -<p>"A very worthy man," she murmured. "No, not a bit of it! he's an old -idiot, a madman who will force me to ruin him, though I should be -glad to get rid of him with a fortune! Besides, your place is not in -his house, which has a bad reputation. He lets to certain women——" -But realizing that the young girl was confused, he hastened to add: -"Oh! one can be respectable anywhere, and there's even more merit in -remaining so when one is so poor."</p> - -<p>They took a few steps in silence. Pépé seemed to be listening with -the attentive air of a precocious child. Now and again he raised his -eyes to his sister, whose burning hand, quivering with sudden starts, -astonished him.</p> - -<p>"Look here!" resumed Mouret, gaily, "will you be my ambassador? I -intended increasing my offer to-morrow—of proposing eighty thousand -francs to Bourras. Will you speak to him first about it? Tell him he's -cutting his own throat. Perhaps he'll listen to you, as he has a liking -for you, and you'll be doing him a real service."</p> - -<p>"Very well!" said Denise, smiling also, "I will deliver your message, -but I am afraid I shall not succeed."</p> - -<p>Then a fresh silence ensued, neither of them having anything more -to say. For a moment he attempted to talk of her uncle Baudu; but -had to give it up on seeing how uncomfortable this made the girl. -Nevertheless, they continued walking side by side, and at last found -themselves near the Rue de Rivoli, in a path where it was still light. -On emerging from the darkness of the trees this was like a sudden -awakening. He understood that he could not detain her any longer.</p> - -<p>"Good night, mademoiselle," he said.</p> - -<p>"Good night, sir."</p> - -<p>Nevertheless he did not go away. On raising his eyes he had perceived -in front of him, at the corner of the Rue d'Alger, the lighted windows -of Madame Desforges's flat whither he was bound. And looking at Denise, -whom he could now see, in the pale twilight, she appeared to him very -puny compared to Henriette. Why was it then that she touched his heart -in this manner? It was a stupid caprice.</p> - -<p>"This little man is getting tired," he resumed, by way of saying -something. "Remember, mind, that our house will always be open to you; -you've only to knock, and I'll give you every compensation possible. -Good night, mademoiselle."</p> - -<p>"Good night, sir."</p> - -<p>When Mouret had quitted her, Denise went back under the chestnut-trees, -into the black gloom. For a long time she walked on at random, between -the huge trunks, her face burning, her head in a whirl of confused -ideas. Pépé still held her hand and was stretching out his short legs -to keep pace with her. She had forgotten him. But at last he said: "You -go too quick, little mother."</p> - -<p>At this she sat down on a bench; and as he was tired, the child went to -sleep on her lap. She held him there, pressing him to her virgin bosom, -her eyes wandering far away into the darkness. When, an hour later, -they slowly returned to the Rue de la Michodière, she had regained her -usual quiet, sensible expression.</p> - -<p>"Hell and thunder!" shouted Bourras, when he saw her coming, "the -blow is struck. That rascal of a Mouret has just bought my house." He -was half mad, and was striking himself in the middle of the shop with -such outrageous gestures that he almost broke the windows. "Ah! the -scoundrel! It's the fruiterer who's written to tell me of it. And how -much do you think the rogue, has got for the house? One hundred and -fifty thousand francs, four times its value! There's another thief, -if you like! Just fancy, he has taken advantage of my embellishments, -making capital out of the fact that the house has been done up. How -much longer are they going to make a fool of me?"</p> - -<p>The thought that his money spent on paint and whitewash had brought -the fruiterer a profit exasperated him. And now Mouret would be his -landlord; he would have to pay him! It was beneath this detested -competitor's roof that he must in future live! Such a thought raised -his fury to the highest pitch.</p> - -<p>"Ah! I could hear them digging a hole through the wall. At this moment, -they are here, eating out of my very plate, so to say!"</p> - -<p>And the shop shook under his heavy fist as he banged it on the counter, -making the umbrellas and the parasols dance again.</p> - -<p>Denise, bewildered, could not get in a word. She stood there, -motionless, waiting for the end of this fit; whilst Pépé, very tired, -fell asleep again, this time on a chair. At last, when Bourras became -a little calmer, she resolved to deliver Mouret's message. No doubt -the old man was irritated, but the excess even of his anger, the blind -alley, as it were, in which he found himself, might determine an abrupt -acceptance on his part.</p> - -<p>"I've just met some one," she commenced. "Yes, a person from The -Paradise, who is very well informed. It appears that they are going to -offer you eighty thousand francs to-morrow."</p> - -<p>"Eighty thousand francs!" he interrupted, in a terrible voice; "eighty -thousand francs! Not for a million now!"</p> - -<p>She tried to reason with him. But at that moment the shop door opened, -and she suddenly drew back, pale and silent. It was her uncle Baudu, -with his yellow face and aged look. Bourras caught his neighbour by the -buttonhole, and without allowing him to say a word, as if goaded on -by his presence, roared in his face: "What do you think they have the -cheek to offer me? Eighty thousand francs! They've got to that point, -the brigands! they think I'm going to sell myself like a prostitute. -Ah! they've bought the house, and think they've got me now! Well! it's -all over, they shan't have it! I might have given way, perhaps; but now -it belongs to them, let them try to take it!"</p> - -<p>"So the news is true?" said Baudu, in his slow voice. "I had heard of -it, and came over to know if it was so."</p> - -<p>"Eighty thousand francs!" repeated Bourras. "Why not a hundred thousand -at once? It's this immense sum of money that makes me so indignant. Do -they think they can make me commit a knavish trick with their money! -They shan't have it, by heavens! Never, never, you hear me?"</p> - -<p>Then Denise broke her silence to remark, in her calm, quiet way: -"They'll have it in nine years' time, when your lease expires."</p> - -<p>And, notwithstanding her uncle's presence, she begged the old man to -accept. The struggle was becoming impossible, he was fighting against a -superior force; it would be madness to refuse the fortune offered him. -But he still replied no. In nine years' time he hoped to be dead, so as -not to see it.</p> - -<p>"You hear, Monsieur Baudu," he resumed, "your niece is on their side, -it's she whom they have commissioned to corrupt me. She's with the -brigands, my word of honour!"</p> - -<p>Baudu, who had so far appeared not to notice Denise, now raised his -head, with the surly movement that he affected when standing at his -shop door, every time she passed. But, slowly, he turned round and -looked at her, and his thick lips trembled.</p> - -<p>"I know it," he replied in an undertone, and he continued looking at -her.</p> - -<p>Denise, affected almost to tears, thought him greatly changed by worry. -Perhaps too he was stricken with remorse at not having assisted her -during the time of misery through which she had lately passed. Then -the sight of Pépé sleeping on the chair, amidst the hubbub of the -discussion, seemed to suddenly inspire him with compassion.</p> - -<p>"Denise," said he simply, "come to-morrow and have dinner with us, and -bring the little one. My wife and Geneviève asked me to invite you if I -met you."</p> - -<p>She turned very red, went up to him and kissed him. And as he was going -away, Bourras, delighted at this reconciliation, again cried out to -him: "Just give her a lecture, she isn't a bad sort. As for me, the -house may fall, I shall be found in the ruins."</p> - -<p>"Our houses are already falling, neighbour," said Baudu with a gloomy -air. "We shall all of us be crushed under them."</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a></h4> - - -<p>At this time the whole neighbourhood was talking of the great -thoroughfare which was to be opened between the Bourse and the -new Opera House, under the name of the Rue du Dix-Décembre.<a name="FNanchor_1_3" id="FNanchor_1_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_3" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> -The expropriation judgments had been delivered, and two gangs of -demolishers were already beginning operations at either end, the first -pulling down the old mansions in the Rue Louis-le-Grand, and the -other destroying the thin walls of the old Vaudeville. You could hear -the picks getting closer, and the Rue de Choiseul and the Rue de la -Michodière waxing quite excited over their condemned houses. Before a -fortnight passed, the opening would leave in both these streets a great -gap full of sunlight and uproar.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_3" id="Footnote_1_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_3"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> This is at the present day the Rue du Quatre Septembre. -Napoleon III. gave as the name of the new thoroughfare the date of -his coronation (Dec. 10); and after Sedan the Republican government -ironically retorted by altering the name to the date of his downfall -(Sept. 4).</p></div> - -<p>But what stirred up the district still more, was the work undertaken -at The Ladies' Paradise. People talked of considerable enlargements, -of gigantic shops with frontages on the Rue de la Michodière, the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin, and the Rue Monsigny. Mouret, it was said, had -made arrangements with Baron Hartmann, the chairman of the Crédit -Immobilier, and would occupy the whole block, excepting the future -frontage in the Rue du Dix-Décembre, where the baron wished to erect a -rival establishment to the Grand Hôtel. The Paradise people were buying -up leases on all sides, shops were closing, and tenants moving; and -in the empty buildings an army of workmen was commencing the various -alterations amidst a cloud of plaster. And alone in all this disorder, -old Bourras's narrow hovel remained intact, still obstinately clinging -between the high walls covered with masons.</p> - -<p>When on the following day, Denise went with Pépé to her uncle Baudu's, -the street was blocked up by a line of carts discharging bricks outside -the Hôtel Duvillard. Baudu was standing at his shop door looking on -with a gloomy air. In proportion as The Ladies' Paradise became larger, -The Old Elbeuf seemed to grow smaller. The young girl thought that the -windows looked blacker than ever, lower and lower still beneath the -first storey, with its rounded prison-like windows. The damp, moreover, -had still further discoloured the old green sign-board; woefulness -appeared on the whole frontage, livid in hue, and, as it were, shrunken.</p> - -<p>"Here you are, then!" said Baudu. "Take care! they would run right over -you."</p> - -<p>Inside the shop, Denise experienced the same heart pang; she found it -darker, steeped more deeply than ever in the somnolence of approaching -ruin. Empty corners formed dark cavities, dust was covering the -counters and filling the drawers, whilst a cellar-like odour of -saltpetre rose from the bales of cloth that were no longer moved about. -At the desk Madame Baudu and Geneviève stood mute and motionless, as in -some solitary spot, where no one would come to disturb them. The mother -was hemming some dusters. The daughter, her hands resting on her knees, -was gazing at the emptiness before her.</p> - -<p>"Good evening, aunt," said Denise; "I'm delighted to see you again, and -if I have hurt your feelings, I hope you will forgive me."</p> - -<p>Madame Baudu kissed her, greatly affected. "My poor child," said she, -"if I had no other troubles, you would see me gayer than this."</p> - -<p>"Good evening, cousin," resumed Denise, kissing Geneviève on the cheeks.</p> - -<p>The latter woke with a sort of start, and returned her kisses but -without finding a word to say. Then the two women took up Pépé, who was -holding out his little arms, and the reconciliation was complete.</p> - -<p>"Well! it's six o'clock, let's go to dinner," said Baudu. "Why haven't -you brought Jean?"</p> - -<p>"Well, he was to have come," murmured Denise, in embarrassment. "I saw -him this morning, and he faithfully promised me. Oh! we must not wait -for him; his master has kept him, I dare say." In reality she suspected -some extraordinary adventure, and wished to apologize for him in -advance.</p> - -<p>"In that case, we will commence," said her uncle and turning towards -the dim depths of the shop, he added:</p> - -<p>"You may as well dine with us, Colomban. No one will come."</p> - -<p>Denise had not noticed the assistant. Her aunt explained to her that -they had been obliged to get rid of the other salesman and the young -lady. Business was getting so bad that Colomban sufficed; and even he -spent many idle hours, drowsy, falling asleep with his eyes open.</p> - -<p>The gas was burning in the dining-room, although they were now in the -long days of summer. Denise shivered slightly as she went in, chilled -by the dampness oozing from the walls. She once more beheld the round -table, the places laid on the American cloth, the window deriving its -air and light from the dark and fetid back-yard. And all these things -appeared to her to be gloomier than ever, and tearful like the shop.</p> - -<p>"Father," said Geneviève, uncomfortable for Denise's sake, "shall I -close the window? there's rather a bad smell."</p> - -<p>He himself smelt nothing, and seemed surprised. "Shut the window if you -like," he replied at last. "But we shan't get any air then."</p> - -<p>And indeed they were almost stifled. It was a very simple family -dinner. After the soup, as soon as the servant had served the boiled -beef, the old man as usual began talking about the people opposite. At -first he showed himself very tolerant, allowing his niece to have a -different opinion.</p> - -<p>"Dear me!" said he, "you are quite free to support those big tricky -shows. Each person has his ideas, my girl. If you were not disgusted -at being so disgracefully chucked out you must have strong reasons for -liking them; and even if you went back again, I should think none the -worse of you. No one here would be offended, would they?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, no!" murmured Madame Baudu.</p> - -<p>Thereupon Denise quietly gave her reasons for her preference, just as -she had at Robineau's: explaining the logical evolution in business, -the necessities of modern times, the greatness of these new creations, -in short, the growing well-being of the public. Baudu, his eyes -dilated, and his mouth clammy, listened with a visible mental strain. -Then, when she had finished, he shook his head.</p> - -<p>"That's all phantasmagoria, you know. Business is business, there's no -getting over that. Oh! I own that they succeed, but that's all. For a -long time I thought they would smash up; yes, I expected that, waiting -patiently—you remember? Well, no, it appears that nowadays thieves -make fortunes, whilst honest people die of hunger. That's what we've -come to. I'm obliged to bow to facts. And I do bow, on my word, I do -bow to them!" A deep anger was gradually rising within him. All at once -he flourished his fork. "But The Old Elbeuf will never give way! I said -as much to Bourras, you know, 'Neighbour,' said I 'you're going over to -the cheapjacks; your paint and your varnish are a disgrace to you.'"</p> - -<p>"Eat your dinner!" interrupted Madame Baudu, feeling anxious, on seeing -him so excited.</p> - -<p>"Wait a bit, I want my niece thoroughly to understand my motto. Just -listen, my girl: I'm like this decanter, I don't budge. They succeed, -so much the worse for them! As for me, I protest—that's all!"</p> - -<p>The servant brought in a piece of roast veal. He cut it up with -trembling hands; and no longer showed his accurate glance, his deft -skill in weighing the portions. The consciousness of his defeat -deprived him of the confidence he had formerly possessed as a respected -employer. Pépé had thought that his uncle was getting angry, and they -had to pacify him, by giving him some dessert, some biscuits which -were near his plate. Then Baudu, lowering his voice, tried to talk of -something else. For a moment he spoke of the demolitions going on, -approving of the Rue du Dix-Décembre, the piercing of which would -certainly increase the business of the neighbourhood. But then he -again returned to The Ladies' Paradise; everything brought him back to -it, as to a chronic complaint. They were being covered with plaster, -and business had quite ceased since the builders' carts had commenced -to block up the street. Moreover the place would soon be really -ridiculous, in its immensity; the customers would lose themselves in -it. Why not have the Central Markets at once? And, in spite of his -wife's supplicating looks, notwithstanding his own effort, he went on -from the works to the amount of business done in the big shop. Was it -not inconceivable? In less than four years they had increased their -figures five-fold: the annual receipts, formerly some eight million -francs, now attained the sum of forty millions, according to the last -balance-sheet. In fact it was a piece of folly, a thing that had -never been seen before, and against which it was perfectly useless -to struggle. They were always swelling and growing; they now had a -thousand employees and twenty-eight departments. Those twenty-eight -departments enraged him more than anything else. No doubt they had -duplicated a few, but others were quite new; for instance a furniture -department, and a department for fancy goods. The idea! Fancy goods! -Really those people had no pride whatever, they would even end by -selling fish. Then Baudu, though still affecting to respect Denise's -opinions, attempted to convert her.</p> - -<p>"Frankly, you can't defend them. What would you say if I were to add an -ironmongery department to my cloth business? You would say I was mad, -eh? Confess, at least, that you don't esteem them."</p> - -<p>And as the young girl simply smiled, feeling uncomfortable and -realizing how futile the best of reasons would be, he resumed: "In -short, you are on their side. We won't talk about it any more, for it's -useless to let that part us again. That would be the climax—to see -them come between me and my family! Go back with them, if you like; but -pray don't worry me with any more of their stories!"</p> - -<p>A silence ensued. His previous violence fell to this feverish -resignation. As they were suffocating in the narrow room, heated by -the gas-burner, the servant had to open the window again; and the -damp, pestilential air from the yard blew into the apartment. A dish -of <i>sauté</i> potatoes had appeared, and they helped themselves slowly, -without a word.</p> - -<p>"Look at those two," began Baudu again, pointing with his knife to -Geneviève and Colomban. "Ask them if they like your Ladies' Paradise."</p> - -<p>Side by side in the places where they had found themselves twice a-day -for the last twelve years, Colomban and Geneviève were eating slowly, -without uttering a word. He, exaggerating the coarse good-nature of -his face, seemed to be concealing, behind his drooping eyelashes, the -inward flame which was consuming him; whilst she, her head bowed lower -beneath her heavy hair, appeared to be giving way entirely, as if a -prey to some secret grief.</p> - -<p>"Last year was very disastrous," explained Baudu, "and we have been -obliged to postpone the marriage. Just to please them, ask them what -they think of your friends."</p> - -<p>In order to pacify him, Denise interrogated the young people.</p> - -<p>"Naturally I can't be very fond of them, cousin," replied Geneviève. -"But never fear, every one doesn't detest them."</p> - -<p>And so speaking she looked at Colomban, who was rolling up some -bread-crumbs with an absorbed air. But when he felt that the young -girl's gaze was turned upon him, he broke out into a series of violent -exclamations: "A rotten shop! A lot of rogues, every man-jack of them! -In fact a regular pest in the neighbourhood!"</p> - -<p>"You hear him! You hear him!" exclaimed Baudu, delighted. "There's one -whom they'll never get hold of! Ah! my boy, you're the last of the old -stock, we shan't see any more!"</p> - -<p>But Geneviève, with her severe and suffering look, did not take her -eyes off Colomban, but dived into the depths of his heart. And he felt -troubled, and again launched out into invective. Madame Baudu was -watching them in silence with an anxious air, as if she foresaw another -misfortune in this direction. For some time past her daughter's sadness -had frightened her, she felt her to be dying.</p> - -<p>"The shop is left to take care of itself," she said at last, rising -from table, in order to put an end to the scene. "Go and see, Colomban; -I fancy I heard some one."</p> - -<p>They had finished, and got up. Baudu and Colomban went to speak to a -traveller, who had come for orders. Madame Baudu carried Pépé off to -show him some pictures. The servant had quickly cleared the table, and -Denise was lingering by the window, looking curiously into the little -back-yard, when on turning round she saw Geneviève still in her place, -her eyes fixed on the American cloth, which was still damp from the -sponge that had been passed over it.</p> - -<p>"Are you suffering, cousin?" she asked.</p> - -<p>The young girl did not reply but seemed to be obstinately studying -a rent in the cloth, though really absorbed in the reflections -passing through her mind. But after a while she raised her head with -difficulty, and looked at the sympathizing face bent over hers. The -others had gone, then? What was she doing on that chair? And suddenly -sobs stifled her, her head fell forward on the edge of the table. She -wept on, wetting her sleeve with her tears.</p> - -<p>"Good heavens! what's the matter with you?" cried Denise in dismay. -"Shall I call some one?"</p> - -<p>But Geneviève nervously caught her by the arm, and held her back, -stammering: "No, no, stay here. Don't let mamma know! With you I don't -mind; but not the others—not the others! It's not my fault, I assure -you. It was on finding myself all alone. Wait a bit; I'm better, I'm -not crying now."</p> - -<p>Nevertheless sudden attacks kept on seizing her, sending shudders -through her frail body. It seemed as though her pile of hair was -weighing down her neck. While she was rolling her head on her folded -arms, a hair-pin slipped out, and then her hair fell over her neck, -burying it beneath gloomy tresses. Denise, as quietly as possible for -fear of attracting attention, sought to console her. She undid her -dress, and was heart-rent on seeing how fearfully thin she had become. -The poor girl's bosom was as hollow as a child's. Then Denise took -hold of her hair by the handful, that superb hair, which seemed to be -absorbing all her life, and twisted it up tightly to clear her neck, -and make her cooler.</p> - -<p>"Thanks, you are very kind," said Geneviève. "Ah! I'm not stout, am I? -I used to be stouter, but it's all gone away. Do up my dress or mamma -might see my shoulders. I hide them as much as I can. Good heavens! I'm -not at all well, I'm not at all well."</p> - -<p>However, the attack passed away, and she sat there completely exhausted -and looking fixedly at her cousin. After a pause she abruptly inquired: -"Tell me the truth: does he love her?"</p> - -<p>Denise felt a blush rising to her cheeks. She was perfectly well aware -that Geneviève referred to Colomban and Clara; but she pretended to be -surprised. "Who, dear?"</p> - -<p>Geneviève shook her head with an incredulous air. "Don't tell -falsehoods, I beg of you. Do me the favour of setting my doubts at -rest. You must know, I feel it. Yes, you were that girl's comrade, and -I've seen Colomban run after you, and talk to you in a low voice. He -was giving you messages for her, wasn't he? Oh! for pity's sake, tell -me the truth; I assure you it will do me good."</p> - -<p>Never before had Denise been in such an awkward position. She lowered -her eyes before this girl, who was ever silent and yet guessed all. -However, she had the strength to deceive her still. "But it's you he -loves!" she said.</p> - -<p>Geneviève made a gesture of despair. "Very well, you won't tell me -anything. However, I don't care, I've seen them. He's continually going -outside to look at her. She, upstairs, laughs like a bad woman. Of -course they meet out of doors."</p> - -<p>"As for that, no, I assure you!" exclaimed Denise, forgetting herself -and carried away by the desire to give her cousin at least that -consolation.</p> - -<p>Geneviève drew a long breath, and smiled feebly. Then in the weak voice -of a convalescent she said, "I should like a glass of water. Excuse me -if I trouble you. Look, over there in the sideboard."</p> - -<p>When she got hold of the bottle, she drank a large glassful right off, -keeping Denise away with one hand. The young saleswoman was afraid that -she might do herself harm.</p> - -<p>"No, no," said she, "let me be; I'm always thirsty. In the night I get -up to drink."</p> - -<p>Silence again fell. Then Geneviève once more began in a gentle voice. -"If you only knew, I've been accustomed to the idea of this marriage -for the last ten years. I was still wearing short dresses, when -Colomban began courting me. I can hardly remember how things came -about. By always living together, shut up here together, without any -other distractions between us, I must have ended by believing him to -be my husband before he really was. I didn't know whether I loved him, -I was his wife, that was all. And now he wants to go off with another -girl! Oh, heavens! my heart is breaking! You see, it's a grief that I -never felt before. It hurts me in the bosom, and in the head; then it -spreads everywhere, it's killing me."</p> - -<p>Her eyes filled with tears. Denise, whose eyelids were also moistening -with pity, asked her: "Does my aunt suspect anything?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, mamma has her suspicions, I think. As for papa, he is too much -worried, and does not know the pain he is causing me by postponing the -marriage. Mamma has questioned me several times, greatly alarmed to see -me pining away. She has never been very strong herself, and has often -said to me: 'My poor child, you're like myself, by no means strong. -Besides, one doesn't grow much in these shops. But she must find me -getting really too thin now. Look at my arms; would you believe it?"</p> - -<p>Then with a trembling hand she again took up the water bottle. Her -cousin tried to prevent her from drinking.</p> - -<p>"But I'm so thirsty," said she, "let me drink."</p> - -<p>They could hear Baudu talking in a loud voice. Then suddenly yielding -to an inspiration of her heart, Denise knelt down before Geneviève and -throwing her sisterly arms round her neck, kissed her, and assured her -that everything would yet turn out all right, that she would marry -Colomban, would get well, and live happily. And then she got up quickly -for her uncle was calling her.</p> - -<p>"Jean is here. Come along."</p> - -<p>It was indeed Jean, who, looking rather scared, had just arrived for -dinner. When they told him it was striking eight, he seemed amazed. -Impossible! He had only just left his master's. They chaffed him. No -doubt he had come by way of the Bois de Vincennes. But as soon as he -could get near his sister, he whispered to her: "It's all the fault of -a little laundry-girl. I've got a cab outside by the hour. Give me five -francs."</p> - -<p>He went out for a minute, and then returned to dinner, for Madame Baudu -would not hear of his going away without taking, at least, a plate -of soup. Geneviève had returned to the shop in her usual silent and -retiring manner. Colomban was now half asleep behind the counter; and -the evening passed away, slow and melancholy, only animated by Baudu's -tramp, as he walked from one end of the empty shop to the other. A -single gas-burner was alight—the shadows of the low ceiling fell in -large masses, like black earth from a ditch.</p> - -<p>Several months passed away. Denise came in nearly every evening to -cheer up Geneviève a bit, but the Baudus' home became more melancholy -than ever. The works opposite were a continual torment, which made them -feel their bad luck more and more keenly. Even when they had an hour -of hope—some unexpected joy—the uproar of a tumbrel-load of bricks, -the sound of a stone-cutter's saw or the simple call of a mason would -at once suffice to mar their pleasure. In fact, the whole neighbourhood -was stirred by it all. From behind the hoarding edging and obstructing -the three streets, there issued a movement of feverish activity. -Although the architect was utilizing the existing buildings, he was -opening them in various ways to adapt them to their new uses; and right -in the centre of the vacant space supplied by the court-yards, he was -building a central gallery as vast as a church, which would be reached -by a grand entrance in the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin in the very middle -of the frontage. They had, at first, experienced great difficulty in -laying the foundations, for they had come upon sewer deposits and loose -earth, full of human bones; besides which the boring of the well—a -well three hundred feet deep—destined to yield two hundred gallons -a minute had made the neighbours very anxious. They had now got the -walls up to the first storey; and the entire block was surrounded by -scaffoldings, regular towers of timber. There was an incessant noise -from the grinding of the windlasses hoisting up the free-stone, the -abrupt unloading of iron bars, the clamour of the army of workmen, -accompanied by the noise of picks and hammers. But above all else, what -most deafened you was the sound of the machinery. Everything went by -steam, screeching whistles rent the air; and then too, at the slightest -gust of wind, clouds of plaster flew about and covered the neighbouring -roofs like a fall of snow. The despairing Baudus looked on at this -implacable dust penetrating everywhere—filtering through the closest -woodwork, soiling the goods in their shop, even gliding into their -beds; and the idea that they must continue to breathe it—that it would -end by killing them—empoisoned their existence.</p> - -<p>The situation, however, was destined to become worse still, for in -September, the architect, afraid of not being ready in time, decided -to carry on the work at night also. Powerful electric lamps were -established, and then the uproar became continuous. Gangs of men -relieved each other; the hammers never stopped, the engines whistled -night and day; and again the everlasting clamour seemed to raise and -scatter the white dust. The exasperated Baudus now had to give up the -idea of sleeping even; they were shaken in their alcove; the noises -changed into nightmare whenever they managed to doze off. Then, if they -got up to calm their fever, and went, with bare feet, to pull back -the curtains and look out of the window, they were frightened by the -vision of The Ladies' Paradise flaring in the darkness like a colossal -forge, where their ruin was being forged. Along the half-built walls, -pierced with empty bays, the electric lamps threw broad bluey rays, -of blinding intensity. Two o'clock struck—then three, then four; and -during the painful sleep of the neighbourhood, the works, expanding in -the lunar-like brightness, became colossal and fantastic, swarming with -black shadows, noisy workmen, whose silhouettes gesticulated against -the crude whiteness of the new walls.</p> - -<p>Baudu had spoken correctly. The small traders of the adjacent streets -were receiving another mortal blow. Every time The Ladies' Paradise -created new departments there were fresh failures among the shopkeepers -of the district. The disaster spread, one could hear the oldest houses -cracking. Mademoiselle Tatin, of the under-linen shop in the Passage -Choiseul, had just been declared bankrupt; Quinette, the glover, -could hardly hold out another six months; the furriers, Vanpouille, -were obliged to sub-let a part of their premises; and if the Bédorés, -brother and sister, still kept on as hosiers, in the Rue Gaillon, -they were evidently living on the money they had formerly saved. And -now more smashes were on the point of being added to those long since -foreseen; the fancy goods department threatened a dealer in the Rue -Saint-Roch, Deslignières, a big, full-blooded man; whilst the furniture -department was injuring Messrs. Piot and Rivoire, whose shops slumbered -in the gloom of the Passage Sainte-Anne. It was even feared that an -attack of apoplexy would carry off Deslignières, who had been in a -terrible rage ever since The Ladies' Paradise had marked up purses -at thirty per cent. reduction. The furniture dealers, who were much -calmer, affected to joke at these counter-jumpers who wanted to meddle -with such articles as chairs and tables; but customers were already -leaving them, and the success of Mouret's department threatened to be -a formidable one. It was all over, they must bow their heads. After -these, others would be swept off in their turn and there was no reason -why every business should not be driven away. Some day The Ladies' -Paradise alone would cover the neighbourhood with its roof.</p> - -<p>At present, when the thousand employees went in and came out morning -and evening, they formed such a long procession on the Place Gaillon -that people stopped to look at them as they might at a passing -regiment. For ten minutes they blocked up all the streets; and the -shopkeepers standing at their doors thought bitterly of their one -assistant, whom they hardly knew how to find food for. The last -balance-sheet of the big bazaar, the turn-over of forty millions, had -also revolutionized the neighbourhood. The figure passed from house -to house amid cries of surprise and anger. Forty millions! Think of -that! No doubt the net profit did not exceed more than four per cent., -given the heavy general expenses, and the system of low prices; but -sixteen hundred thousand francs was still a handsome sum; one could -well be satisfied with four per cent., when one operated on such a -scale as that. It was said that Mouret's starting capital of five -hundred thousand francs, each year increased by the total profits of -the house—a capital which must at that moment have amounted to four -millions—had in one twelvemonth passed ten times over the counters -in the form of goods. Robineau, when he made this calculation in -Denise's presence one evening, after dinner, was quite overcome for -a moment, and remained staring at his empty plate. She was right, it -was this incessant renewal of capital that constituted the invincible -power of the new system of business. Bourras alone denied the facts, -refusing to understand, superb and stupid as a milestone. To him the -Paradise people were a pack of thieves and nothing more! A lying set! -Cheap-jacks who would be picked out of the gutter some fine morning!</p> - -<p>The Baudus, however, despite their determination not to change anything -in the system of The Old Elbeuf, tried to sustain the competition. -Customers no longer coming to them, they sought to reach the customers -through the agency of travellers. There was at that time, in the -Paris market, a traveller connected with all the leading tailors, -who saved the little cloth and flannel houses when he condescended -to represent them. Naturally they all tried to get hold of him; he -was quite a personage; and Baudu, having haggled with him, had the -misfortune to see him come to terms with the Matignons, of the Rue -Croix-des-Petits-Champs. Then one after the other, two other travellers -robbed him; a third, an honest man, did no business. It was a slow -death, exempt from shocks, a continual decrease of business, customers -falling away one by one. A day came when the bills to be met fell -on the Baudus very heavily. Until that time they had lived on their -former savings; but now they began to contract debts. In December, -Baudu, terrified by the amount of his acceptances, resigned himself -to a most cruel sacrifice: he sold his country-house at Rambouillet, -a house which cost him a lot of money in continual repairs, and whose -tenants had not even paid the rent when he decided to get rid of it. -This sale killed the sole dream of his life, his heart bled as for the -loss of some dear one. And for seventy thousand francs he had to part -with what had cost him more than two hundred thousand, considering -himself fortunate even in meeting the Lhommes, his neighbours, who were -desirous of adding to their property. Those seventy thousand francs -would keep the business going a little longer; for in spite of all the -repulses the idea of struggling on ever sprang up again; perhaps with -great care they might conquer even now.</p> - -<p>On the Sunday on which the Lhommes paid the money, they condescended -to dine at The Old Elbeuf. Madame Aurélie was the first to arrive; -they had to wait for the cashier, who came late, scared by a whole -afternoon's music: as for young Albert, he had accepted the invitation, -but did not put in an appearance. It was, moreover, a painful evening. -The Baudus, living without air in their tiny dining-room, suffered -from the breeze which the Lhommes, with their lack of family ties and -their taste for a free life, brought in with them. Geneviève, wounded -by Madame Aurélie's imperial airs, did not open her mouth; but Colomban -admired her with a shiver, on reflecting that she reigned over Clara. -Later on, when Madame Baudu was already in bed, her husband remained -for a long time walking about the room. It was a mild night—damp, -thawing weather—and in spite of the closed windows, and drawn -curtains, one could hear the engines snorting on the opposite side of -the way.</p> - -<p>"Do you know what I'm thinking of, Elisabeth?" said Baudu at last. -"Well! those Lhommes may earn as much money as they like, I'd rather be -in my shoes than theirs. They get on well, it's true. The wife said, -didn't she? that she had made nearly twenty thousand francs this year, -and that had enabled her to take my poor house. Never mind! I've no -longer got the house, but I don't go playing music in one direction, -whilst you are gadding about in the other. No, look you, they can't be -happy."</p> - -<p>He was still keenly fretting over the sacrifice he had been compelled -to make, full of rancour against those people who had bought up his -darling dream. When ever he came near the bed, he leant over his wife -and gesticulated, then, returning to the window, he stood silent for -a minute, listening to the noise of the works. And again he vented -his old accusations, his despairing complaints about the new times; -nobody had ever seen such things, shop-assistants now earned more than -tradesmen, cashiers bought up employers' property. So no wonder that -everything was going to the dogs; family ties no longer existed, people -lived at hotels instead of eating their meals at home in a respectable -manner. At last he ended by prophesying that young Albert would swallow -up the Rambouillet property later on with a lot of actresses.</p> - -<p>Madame Baudu listened to him, her head flat on the pillow, and so pale -that her face seemed the colour of the sheets. "They've paid you," she -at length said softly.</p> - -<p>At this Baudu became dumb. He walked about for an instant with his -eyes on the ground. Then he resumed: "They've paid me, 'tis true; and, -after all, their money is as good as another's. It would be funny if we -revived the business with this money. Ah! if I were not so old and worn -out!"</p> - -<p>A long silence ensued. The draper was full of vague projects. Suddenly, -without moving her head, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, his wife spoke -again: "Have you noticed your daughter lately?"</p> - -<p>"No," he replied.</p> - -<p>"Well! she makes me rather anxious. She's getting pale, she seems to be -pining away."</p> - -<p>He stood before the bed, full of surprise. "Really! whatever for? If -she's ill she should say so. To-morrow we must send for the doctor."</p> - -<p>Madame Baudu still remained motionless; but after a time, she declared, -with her meditative air: "I think it would be better to get this -marriage with Colomban over."</p> - -<p>He looked at her and then began walking about again. Certain things -came back to his mind. Was it possible that his daughter was falling -ill over the shopman? Did she love him so much that she could not wait? -Here was another misfortune! It worried him all the more from the -circumstance that he himself had fixed ideas about this marriage. He -could never consent to it in the present state of affairs. However, his -anxiety softened him.</p> - -<p>"Very good," said he at last, "I'll speak to Colomban."</p> - -<p>And without adding another word he continued his walk. Soon afterwards -his wife fell asleep still looking quite white, as if dead; while he -still kept on tramping about. Before getting into bed he drew aside -the curtains and glanced outside; across the street through the gaping -windows of the old Hôtel Duvillard the workmen could be seen stirring -in the dazzling glare of the electric light.</p> - -<p>On the following morning Baudu took Colomban to the further end of the -store-room on the upper floor, having made up his mind over night as to -what he would say to him. "My boy," he began, "you know I've sold my -property at Rambouillet. That will enable us to show some fight. But I -should first of all like to have a talk with you."</p> - -<p>The young man, who seemed to dread the interview, waited with an -awkward air. His small eyes twinkled in his broad face, and he stood -there with his mouth open—with him a sign of profound agitation.</p> - -<p>"Just listen to me," resumed the draper. "When old Hauchecorne left me -The Old Elbeuf, the house was prosperous; he himself had received it -from old Finet in a satisfactory state. You know my ideas; I should -consider it wrong if I passed this family trust over to my children in -a diminished state; and that's why I've always postponed your marriage -with Geneviève. Yes, I was obstinate; I hoped to bring back our former -prosperity; I wanted to hand you the books, saying: 'Look here! the -year I commenced we sold so much cloth, and this year, the year I -retire, we have sold ten thousand or twenty thousand francs' worth -more.' In short, you understand, it was a vow I made to myself, the -very natural desire I had to prove that the house had not declined in -my hands. Otherwise it would seem to me that I was robbing you." His -voice became husky with emotion. He blew his nose to recover himself a -bit, and then asked, "You don't say anything?"</p> - -<p>But Colomban had nothing to say. He shook his head, and waited, feeling -more and more perturbed, and fancying that he could guess what the -governor was aiming at. It was the marriage without further delay. How -could he refuse? He would never have the strength to do so. And yet -there was that other girl, of whom he dreamed at night, devoured by -insensate passion.</p> - -<p>"Now," continued Baudu, "a sum of money has come in that may save us. -The situation becomes worse every day, but perhaps by making a supreme -effort.—In short, I thought it right to warn you. We are going to -venture our last stake. If we are beaten, why that will entirely ruin -us! Only, my poor boy, your marriage must again be postponed, for I -don't wish to throw you two all alone into the struggle. That would be -too cowardly, wouldn't it?"</p> - -<p>Colomban, greatly relieved, had seated himself on a pile of molleton. -His legs were still trembling. He was afraid of showing his delight, so -he held down his head whilst rolling his fingers on his knees.</p> - -<p>"You don't say anything?" repeated Baudu.</p> - -<p>No, he said nothing, he could find nothing to say. Thereupon the draper -slowly resumed: "I was sure this would grieve you. You must muster up -courage. Pull yourself together a bit, don't let yourself be crushed in -this way. Above all, understand my position. Can I hang such a weight -about your neck? Instead of leaving you a good business, I should leave -you a bankruptcy perhaps. No, only scoundrels play such tricks as that! -No doubt, I desire nothing but your happiness, but nobody shall ever -make me go against my conscience."</p> - -<p>And he went on for a long time in this way, meandering through a -maze of contradictory sentences, like a man who would have liked to -be understood at the first word but finds himself obliged to explain -everything. As he had promised his daughter and the shop, strict -probity forced him to deliver both in good condition, without defects -or debts. But he was weary, the burden seemed to be too much for him, -and entreaty almost pierced though his stammering accents. At last -he got more entangled than ever, awaiting some sudden impulse from -Colomban, some heartfelt cry, which did not come.</p> - -<p>"I know," he murmured, "that old men are wanting in ardour. With young -ones, things light up. They are full of fire, it's only natural. But, -no, no, I can't, my word of honour! If I gave it up to you, you would -blame me later on."</p> - -<p>He stopped, trembling, and as the young man still kept his head down, -he asked him for the third time, after a painful silence: "You don't -say anything?" Then, at last, without venturing to look at him, -Colomban replied: "There's nothing to say. You are the master, you know -better than all of us. As you wish it we'll wait, we'll try and be -reasonable."</p> - -<p>It was all over. Baudu still hoped he was going to throw himself into -his arms, exclaiming: "Father, do you take a rest, we'll fight in -our turn; give us the shop as it is, so that we may work a miracle -and save it!" Then, however, he looked at him, and felt full of -shame, reproaching himself for having wished to dupe his children. -His deep-rooted maniacal commercial honesty was awakened in him; it -was this prudent fellow who was right, for there is no such thing as -sentiment in business, which is only a question of figures.</p> - -<p>"Embrace me, my boy," he said in conclusion. "It's settled; we won't -speak about the marriage for another year. One must think of the -business before everything."</p> - -<p>That evening, in their room, when Madame Baudu questioned her husband -as to the result of the conversation, the draper had regained his -obstinate resolve to fight on in person to the bitter end. He gave -Colomban high praise, calling him a solid fellow, firm in his ideas, -brought up in the best principles, incapable, for instance, of joking -with the customers like those puppies at The Paradise. No, he was -honest, he belonged to the family, he didn't speculate on the business -as though he were a stock-jobber.</p> - -<p>"Well, then, when's the marriage to take place?" asked Madame Baudu.</p> - -<p>"Later on," he replied, "when I am able to keep my promises."</p> - -<p>She made no gestures but simply remarked: "It will be our daughter's -death."</p> - -<p>Baudu restrained himself though hot with anger. He was the one whom it -would kill, if they continually upset him like this! Was it his fault? -He loved his daughter—would lay down his life for her; but he could -not make the business prosper when it obstinately refused to do so. -Geneviève ought to have a little more sense, and wait patiently for a -better balance. The deuce! Colomban would always be there, no one would -run away with him!</p> - -<p>"It's incredible!" he repeated; "such a well-trained girl!"</p> - -<p>Madame Baudu said no more. She had doubtless guessed Geneviève's -jealous agony; but she did not dare to inform her husband of it. A -singular womanly modesty always prevented her from approaching certain -tender, delicate subjects with him. When he saw her so silent, he -turned his anger against the people opposite, stretching out his fists -towards the works, where they were that night setting up some large -iron girders, with a great noise of hammers.</p> - -<p>Denise had now decided to return to The Ladies' Paradise, having -understood that the Robineaus, obliged to cut down their staff, were -at a loss how to dismiss her. To maintain their position they were now -obliged to do everything themselves. Gaujean, still obstinate in his -rancour, renewed their bills and even promised to find them funds; -but they were frightened, they wanted to try the effect of economy -and order. During a whole fortnight Denise had felt that they were -embarrassed about her, and it was she who spoke the first, saying that -she had found a situation elsewhere. This came as a great relief. -Madame Robineau embraced her, deeply affected, and declaring that she -should always miss her. Then when, in answer to a question, the young -girl acknowledged that she was going back to Mouret's, Robineau turned -pale.</p> - -<p>"You are right!" he exclaimed violently.</p> - -<p>It was not so easy to tell the news to old Bourras however. Still, -Denise had to give him notice, and she trembled at the thought, for -she felt full of gratitude towards him. Bourras was at this time in -a rage from morn till night, for he more than any other suffered -from the uproar of the adjacent works. The builder's carts blocked -up his doorway; the picks tapped on his walls; umbrellas and sticks, -everything in his place, danced about to the noise of the hammers. It -seemed as if the hovel, obstinately remaining in the midst of these -demolitions, would suddenly split to pieces. But the worst was that the -architect, in order to connect the existing shops with those about to -be opened in the Hôtel Duvillard, had conceived the idea of tunnelling -a passage under the little house that separated them. This house now -belonged to the firm of Mouret & Co., and as the lease stipulated -that the tenant should submit to all necessary repairs, the workmen -one morning appeared on the scene. At this Bourras nearly went into a -fit. Wasn't it enough that they should grip him on all sides, on the -right, the left, and behind, without attacking him underfoot as well, -taking the very ground from under him! And he drove the masons away, -and went to law. Repairs, yes! but this was a work of embellishment. -The neighbourhood thought he would win the day, without, however, being -sure of anything. The case, at any rate, threatened to be a long one, -and people became quite impassioned over this interminable duel.</p> - -<p>On the day when Denise at last resolved to give him notice, Bourras had -just returned from his lawyer's. "Would you believe it!" he exclaimed, -"they now say that the house is not solid; they pretend that the -foundations must be strengthened. Confound it! they have shaken it up -so much with their infernal machines, that it isn't astonishing if it -gives way!"</p> - -<p>Then, when the girl announced she was going to leave, and was returning -to The Ladies' Paradise at a salary of a thousand francs, he became so -amazed that he could only raise his trembling hands in the air. Emotion -made him drop upon a chair.</p> - -<p>"You! you!" he stammered. "Ah, I'm the only one—I'm the only one -left!" And after a pause, he asked: "And the youngster?"</p> - -<p>"He'll go back to Madame Gras's," replied Denise. "She was very fond of -him."</p> - -<p>They again became silent. She would have rather seen him furious, -swearing and banging the counter with his fist; the sight of this old -man, suffocating and crushed, made her heart bleed. But he gradually -recovered, and began shouting out once more. "A thousand francs! that -isn't to be refused. You'll all go. Go, then, leave me here alone. Yes, -alone—you understand! One at all events will never bow his head. And -tell them I'll win my lawsuit, if I have to sell my last shirt for it!"</p> - -<p>Denise was not to leave Robineau's till the end of the month. She had -seen Mouret again and everything had been settled. One evening as -she was going up to her room, Deloche, who was watching for her in a -doorway, stopped her. He was delighted, having just heard the good -news; they were all talking about it in the shop, said he. And he gaily -told her of all the gossip at the counters.</p> - -<p>"The young ladies in the mantle department are pulling fearfully long -faces, you know." And then breaking off, he added: "By the way, you -remember Clara Prunaire? Well, it appears the governor has taken a -fancy to her."</p> - -<p>He had turned quite red. She, very pale, exclaimed:</p> - -<p>"What! Monsieur Mouret!"</p> - -<p>"Funny taste—eh?" he resumed. "A woman who looks like a horse. -However, that's his business."</p> - -<p>Once upstairs, Denise almost fainted away. It was surely through coming -up too quickly. Leaning out of the window she had a sudden vision of -Valognes, the deserted street and grassy pavement, which she had seen -from her room as a child; and she was seized with a desire to go and -live there once more—to seek refuge in the peace and forgetfulness of -the country. Paris irritated her, she hated The Ladies' Paradise, she -no longer knew why she had consented to go back. She would certainly -suffer there as much as formerly; she was already suffering from an -unknown uneasiness since Deloche's stories. And then all at once a -flood of tears forced her to leave the window. She continued weeping on -for some time, but at last found a little courage to live on still.</p> - -<p>The next day at lunch time, as Robineau had sent her on an errand, and -she was passing The Old Elbeuf, she opened the door on seeing Colomban -alone in the shop. The Baudus were having their meal; she could hear -the clatter of the knives and forks in the little dining-room.</p> - -<p>"You can come in," said the shopman. "They are at table."</p> - -<p>But she motioned him to be silent, and drew him into a corner. Then, -lowering her voice, she said: "It's you I want to speak to. Have you no -heart? Can't you see that Geneviève loves you, and that it's killing -her."</p> - -<p>She was trembling, her fever of the previous night had taken possession -of her again. He, frightened and surprised by this sudden attack, stood -looking at her, without a word.</p> - -<p>"Do you hear?" she continued. "Geneviève knows you love another. She -told me so. She wept like a child. Ah, poor girl! she isn't very -strong now, I can tell you! If you had seen her thin arms! It's -heart-breaking. You can't leave her to die like this!"</p> - -<p>At last he spoke, quite overcome. "But she isn't ill—you exaggerate! I -don't see anything myself. Besides, it's her father who is postponing -the marriage."</p> - -<p>Denise sharply corrected this falsehood, certain as she was that -the least insistence on the young man's part would have decided her -uncle. As for Colomban's surprise, however, it was not feigned; he had -really never noticed Geneviève's slow agony. For him it was a very -disagreeable revelation; for while he remained ignorant of it, he had -no great blame to tax himself with.</p> - -<p>"And who for indeed?" resumed Denise. "For an utterly worthless girl! -You can't know whom you are loving! So far I have not wished to hurt -your feelings, I have often avoided answering your continual questions. -Well! she goes about with everybody, she laughs at you, and will never -marry you."</p> - -<p>He listened to her, turning very pale; and at each of the sentences she -threw in his face, his lips quivered. She, in a cruel fit, yielded to a -transport of anger of which she had no consciousness. "In short," she -said, in a final cry, "she's Monsieur Mouret's mistress if you want to -know!"</p> - -<p>As she spoke her voice died away in her throat and she turned even -paler than Colomban himself. Both stood looking at each other. Then he -stammered out: "I love her!"</p> - -<p>Denise felt ashamed of herself. Why was she talking in this fashion -to this young fellow? Why was she getting so excited? She stood there -mute, the simple reply which he had just given her resounded in her -heart like the distant but deafening clang of a bell. "I love her, I -love her!" and it seemed to spread. He was right, he could not marry -another woman.</p> - -<p>And as she turned round, she observed Geneviève on the threshold of the -dining-room. "Be quiet!" she said rapidly.</p> - -<p>But it was too late, Geneviève must have heard, for her face was white -and bloodless. Just at that moment a customer opened the door—Madame -Bourdelais, one of the last faithful customers of The Old Elbeuf, -where she found substantial goods for her money. For a long time past -Madame de Boves had followed the fashion, and gone over to The Ladies' -Paradise; Madame Marty also no longer came, being entirely subjugated -by the fascinations of the display opposite. And Geneviève was forced -to come forward, and inquire in her weak voice:</p> - -<p>"What do you desire, madame?"</p> - -<p>Madame Bourdelais wished to see some flannel. Colomban took down a roll -from a shelf. Geneviève showed the stuff; and once again the young -people found themselves close together behind the counter. Meanwhile -Baudu came out of the dining-room, behind his wife, who went to seat -herself at the pay-desk. At first he did not meddle with the sale, but -after smiling at Denise stood there, looking at Madame Bourdelais.</p> - -<p>"It is not good enough," said the latter. "Show me the thickest you -have."</p> - -<p>Colomban took down another bundle. There was a silence. Madame -Bourdelais examined the stuff.</p> - -<p>"How much?" she asked.</p> - -<p>"Six francs, madame," replied Geneviève.</p> - -<p>The lady made an abrupt gesture. "Six francs!" said she. "But they have -the same opposite at five francs."</p> - -<p>A slight contraction passed over Baudu's face. He could not help -interfering politely. No doubt madame made a mistake, indeed the stuff -ought to have been sold at six francs and a half; it was impossible -to sell it at five francs. It must be another quality that she was -referring to.</p> - -<p>"No, no," she repeated, with the obstinacy of a house-wife who prided -herself on her knowledge of such matters. "The quality is the same. The -other may even be a little thicker."</p> - -<p>And the discussion ended by becoming quite bitter. Baudu with his bile -rising to his face had to make an effort to continue smiling. His -rancour against The Ladies' Paradise was bursting in his throat.</p> - -<p>"Really," said Madame Bourdelais at last, "you must treat me better for -otherwise I shall go opposite, like the others."</p> - -<p>Thereupon he lost his head, and, shaking with all the passion he had -restrained, cried out: "Well! go opposite then!"</p> - -<p>At this she got up, greatly wounded, and went off without turning -round, but saying: "That's just what I am going to do, sir."</p> - -<p>A general stupor ensued. The governor's violence had frightened all of -them. He was himself scared, and trembled at what he had just said. The -phrase had escaped him against his will in an explosion of long pent-up -rancour. And the Baudus now stood there motionless, their arms hanging -by their sides as they watched Madame Bourdelais cross the street. She -seemed to be carrying off their fortune. When with a tranquil step she -passed through the lofty portal of The Ladies' Paradise and they saw -her disappear in the crowd, they felt a sort of sudden wrench.</p> - -<p>"There's another they've taken from us!" murmured the draper. And -turning towards Denise, of whose re-engagement he was aware, he said: -"You as well, they've taken you back. Oh, I don't blame you for it. As -they've got the money, they are naturally the strongest."</p> - -<p>Just then, Denise, still hoping that Geneviève had not overheard -Colomban, was saying to her: "He loves you. Try and cheer up."</p> - -<p>But in a very low and heart-broken voice the girl replied: "Why do -you tell me a falsehood? Look! he can't help it, he's glancing up -there again. I know very well that they've stolen him from me, just as -they've robbed us of everything else."</p> - -<p>Then she went to sit down at the desk beside her mother. The latter -had doubtless guessed the fresh blow which her daughter had received, -for her anxious eyes wandered from her to Colomban, and then to The -Paradise. It was true, they had stolen everything from them: from -the father, his fortune; from the mother, her dying child; from the -daughter, the husband, for whom she had waited ten long years. In -presence of this condemned family, Denise, whose heart was overflowing -with pity, felt for an instant afraid that she might be wicked. For -was she not going to assist that machine which was crushing the poor? -However, she was carried away, as it were, by an invisible force, and -felt that she could be doing no wrong.</p> - -<p>"Bah!" resumed Baudu, to give himself courage; "we shan't die of -it, after all. For one customer lost we shall find two others. You -hear, Denise, I've got over seventy thousand francs there, which will -certainly make your Mouret spend some sleepless nights. Come, come, you -others, don't look so glum!"</p> - -<p>But he could not enliven them. He himself relapsed into a pale -consternation; and they all remained with their eyes fixed on the -monster, attracted, possessed, glutting themselves with thoughts of -their misfortune. The work was now nearly finished, the scaffoldings -had been removed from the front, a whole side of the colossal edifice -appeared, with its white walls and large light windows. Beside the -footway, where traffic had at last been resumed, stood eight delivery -vans which the messengers were loading one after the other outside the -parcels-office. In the sunshine, a ray of which enfiladed the street, -the vehicles' green panels, picked out with red and yellow, sparkled -like so many mirrors, and cast blinding reflections even into the -depths of The Old Elbeuf. The drivers, clad in black and dignified in -manner, held the horses well in—superb horses they were, champing -silvered bits. And each time a van was loaded, there came a sonorous -roll over the paving stones which made all the little neighbouring -shops tremble. And then in presence of this triumphal procession, -the sight of which they must needs endure twice a day, the Baudus' -hearts broke. The father half fainted away, asking himself where this -continual stream of goods could go to; whilst the mother, sickening at -thought of her daughter's torture, continued gazing blankly into the -street, her eyes blurred by big tears.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</a></h4> - - -<p>It was on a Monday, the 14th of March, that The Ladies' Paradise -inaugurated its new buildings by a great exhibition of summer -novelties, which was to last three days. Outside, a sharp north wind -was blowing and the passers-by, surprised by this return of winter, -hurried along buttoning up their overcoats. In the neighbouring -shops, however, all was fermentation; and against the windows one -could see the pale faces of the petty tradesmen, counting the first -carriages which stopped before the new grand entrance in the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin. This doorway, lofty and deep like a church porch, -and surmounted by an emblematical group of Industry and Commerce -hand-in-hand amidst a variety of symbols—was sheltered by a vast -glazed <i>marquise</i>, the fresh gilding of which seemed to light up the -pavement with a ray of sunshine. To the right and left the shop fronts, -of a blinding whiteness, stretched along the Rue Monsigny and the -Rue de la Michodière, occupying the whole block, except on the Rue -du Dix-Décembre side, where the Crédit Immobilier intended to build. -And along these barrack-like frontages, the petty tradesmen, whenever -they raised their heads, could see the piles of goods through the -large plate-glass windows which, from the ground floor to the second -storey, opened the house to the light of day. And this enormous cube, -this colossal bazaar which concealed the sky from them, seemed in some -degree the cause of the cold which made them shiver behind their frozen -counters.</p> - -<p>As early as six o'clock, Mouret was on the spot, giving his final -orders. In the centre, starting from the grand entrance, a large -gallery ran from end to end, flanked right and left by two narrower -ones, the Monsigny Gallery and the Michodière Gallery. Glass roofings -covered the court-yards turned into huge halls, iron staircases -ascended from the ground floor, on both upper floors iron bridges were -thrown from one end to the other of the establishment. The architect, -who happened to be a young man of talent, with modern ideas, had only -used stone for the basement and corner work, employing iron for all the -rest of the huge carcass—columns upholding all the assemblage of beams -and joists. The vaulting of the ceilings, like the partitions, was of -brick. Space had been gained everywhere; light and air entered freely, -and the public circulated with the greatest ease under the bold flights -of the far-stretching girders. It was the cathedral of modern commerce, -light but strong, the very thing for a nation of customers. Below, in -the central gallery, after the door bargains, came the cravat, glove, -and silk departments; the Monsigny Gallery was occupied by the linen -and Rouen goods; and the Michodière Gallery by the mercery, hosiery, -drapery, and woollens. Then, on the first floor came the mantle, -under-linen, shawl, lace, and various new departments, whilst the -bedding, the carpets, the furnishing materials, all the cumbersome -articles difficult to handle, had been relegated to the second floor. -In all there were now thirty-nine departments with eighteen hundred -employees, two hundred of whom were women. Quite a little world abode -there, amidst the sonorous life of the high metallic naves.</p> - -<p>Mouret's unique passion was to conquer woman. He wished her to be -queen in his house, and had built this temple that he might there -hold her completely at his mercy. His sole aim was to intoxicate her -with gallant attentions, traffic on her desires, profit by her fever. -Night and day he racked his brain to invent fresh attractions. He -had already introduced two velvet-padded lifts, in order to spare -delicate ladies the trouble of climbing the stairs to the upper floors. -Then, too, he had just opened a bar where the customers could find -gratuitous light refreshments, syrups and biscuits, and a reading-room, -a monumental gallery decorated with excessive luxury, in which he had -even ventured on an exhibition of pictures. But his deepest scheme -was to conquer the mother through her child, when unable to do so -through her own coquetry; and to attain this object there was no -means that he neglected. He speculated on every sentiment, created -special departments for little boys and girls, and waylaid the passing -mothers with distributions of chromo-lithographs and air-balls for the -children. There was real genius in his idea of presenting each buyer -with a red air-ball made of fine gutta-percha and bearing in large -letters the name of the establishment. Held by a string it floated in -the air and sailed along every street like a living advertisement.</p> - -<p>But the greatest power of all was the advertising. Mouret now spent -three hundred thousand francs a year in catalogues, advertisements, -and bills.<a name="FNanchor_1_4" id="FNanchor_1_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_4" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> For his summer sale he had launched forth two hundred -thousand catalogues, fifty thousand of which went abroad, translated -into every language. He now had them illustrated with engravings, -and embellished with samples, gummed to the leaves. There was an -overflowing display; the name of The Ladies' Paradise met the eye all -over the world, it invaded the walls and hoardings, the newspapers, -and even the curtains of the theatres. He claimed that woman was -powerless against advertising, that she was bound to be attracted by -uproar. Analyzing her moreover like a great moralist he laid still -more enticing traps for her. Thus he had discovered that she could -not resist a bargain, that she bought without necessity whenever she -thought she saw a thing cheap, and on this observation he based his -system of reductions, progressively lowering the price of unsold -articles, and preferring to sell them at a loss rather than keep them -by him, given his principle of constantly renewing his goods. And he -had penetrated still further into the heart of woman, and had just -planned the system of "returns", a masterpiece of Jesuitical seduction. -"Take whatever you like, madame; you can return it if you find you -don't like it." And the woman who hesitated, herein found a last -excuse, the possibility of repairing an act of folly were it deemed -too extravagant: she took the article with an easy conscience. And now -the returns and reduction of prices system formed part of the everyday -working of the new style of business.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_4" id="Footnote_1_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_4"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> After all, this is only £12,000 or about a quarter of the -amount which a single English firm of soap-manufacturers spends in -advertising every year.</p></div> - -<p>But where Mouret revealed himself as an unrivalled master was in the -interior arrangement of his shops. He laid it down as a law that not a -corner of The Ladies' Paradise ought to remain deserted; he required -a noise, a crowd, evidence of life everywhere; for life, said he, -attracts life, increases and multiplies it. And this principle he -applied in a variety of ways. In the first place, there ought always -to be a crush at the entrance, so that the people in the street should -mistake it for a riot; and he obtained this crush by placing a lot of -bargains at the doors, shelves and baskets overflowing with low-priced -articles; and so the common people crowded there, stopping up the -doorway and making the shop look as if it were crammed with customers, -when it was often only half full. Then, in the galleries, he found a -means of concealing the departments where business occasionally became -slack; for instance, he surrounded the shawl department in summer, and -the printed calico department in winter, with other busy departments, -steeping them in continual uproar. It was he alone who had thought of -reserving the second-floor for the carpet and furniture galleries; for -customers were less numerous in such departments which if placed on the -ground floor would have often presented a chilly void. If he could only -have managed it, he would have let the street run through his shop.</p> - -<p>Just at that moment, Mouret was absorbed in another wonderful -inspiration. On the Saturday evening, whilst giving a last look at -the preparations for the Monday's great sale, he had been struck with -the idea that the arrangement of the departments adopted by him was -idiotic; and yet it seemed a perfectly logical one: the stuffs on one -side, the made-up articles on the other, an intelligent order of things -which would enable customers to find their way about by themselves. He -had dreamt of some such orderly arrangement in the old days of Madame -Hédouin's narrow shop; but now, just as he had carried out his idea, he -felt his faith shaken. And he suddenly cried out that they would "have -to alter all that." They had forty-eight hours before them, and half of -what had been done had to be changed. The staff, utterly bewildered, -had been obliged to work two nights and all day on Sunday, amidst -frightful disorder. On the Monday morning even, an hour before the -opening, there were still some goods remaining to be placed. Decidedly -the governor was going mad, no one understood the meaning of it all, -and general consternation prevailed.</p> - -<p>"Come, look sharp!" cried Mouret, with the quiet assurance of genius. -"There are some more costumes to be taken upstairs. And the Japan -goods, are they placed on the central landing? A last effort, my boys, -you'll see the sale by-and-by."</p> - -<p>Bourdoncle had also been there since daybreak. He did not understand -the alterations any more than the others did and followed the -governor's movements with an anxious eye. He hardly dared to ask him -any questions, knowing how Mouret received people in these critical -moments. However, he at last made up his mind, and gently inquired: -"Was it really necessary to upset everything like that, on the eve of -our sale?"</p> - -<p>At first Mouret shrugged his shoulders without replying. Then as the -other persisted, he burst out: "So that all the customers should heap -themselves into one corner—eh? A nice idea of mine! I should never -have got over it! Don't you see that it would have localised the crowd. -A woman would have come in, gone straight to the department she wanted, -passed from the petticoat to the dress counter, from the dress to the -mantle gallery, and then have retired, without even losing herself for -a moment! Not one would have thoroughly seen the establishment!"</p> - -<p>"But, now that you have disarranged everything, and thrown the goods -all over the place," remarked Bourdoncle, "the employees will wear out -their legs in guiding the customers from department to department."</p> - -<p>Mouret made a gesture of superb contempt. "I don't care a fig for -that! They're young, it'll make them grow! So much the better if they -do walk about! They'll appear more numerous, and increase the crowd. -The greater the crush the better; all will go well!" He laughed, and -then deigned to explain his idea, lowering his voice: "Look here, -Bourdoncle, this is what the result will be. First, this continual -circulation of customers will disperse them all over the shop, -multiply them, and make them lose their heads; secondly, as they must -be conducted from one end of the establishment to the other, if, -for instance, they require a lining after purchasing a dress, these -journeys in every direction will triple the size of the house in their -eyes; thirdly, they will be forced to traverse departments where -they would never have set foot otherwise, temptations will present -themselves on their passage, and they will succumb; fourthly——" -But Bourdoncle was now laughing with him. At this Mouret, delighted, -stopped to call out to the messengers: "Very good, my boys! now for a -sweep, and it'll be splendid!"</p> - -<p>However, on turning round he perceived Denise. He and Bourdoncle -were standing opposite the ready-made departments, which he had just -dismembered by sending the dresses and costumes up to the second-floor -at the other end of the building. Denise, the first down, was opening -her eyes with astonishment, quite bewildered by the new arrangements.</p> - -<p>"What is it?" she murmured; "are we going to move?"</p> - -<p>This surprise appeared to amuse Mouret, who adored these sensational -effects. Early in February Denise had returned to The Ladies' Paradise, -where she had been agreeably surprised to find the staff polite, almost -respectful. Madame Aurélie especially proved very kind; Marguerite -and Clara seemed resigned; whilst old Jouve bowed his head, with an -awkward, embarrassed air, as if desirous of effacing all disagreeable -memories of the past. It had sufficed for Mouret to say a few words -and everybody was whispering and following her with their eyes. And in -this general amiability, the only things that hurt her were Deloche's -singularly melancholy glances and Pauline's inexplicable smiles.</p> - -<p>However, Mouret was still looking at her in his delighted way.</p> - -<p>"What is it you want, mademoiselle?" he asked at last.</p> - -<p>Denise had not noticed him. She blushed slightly. Since her return -she had received various marks of kindness from him which had greatly -touched her. On the other hand Pauline—she knew not why—had given -her a full account of the governor's and Clara's love affairs; and -often returned to the subject, alluding at the same time to that Madame -Desforges, with whom the whole shop was well acquainted. Such stories -stirred Denise's heart; and now, in Mouret's presence, she again felt -all her former fears, an uneasiness in which her gratitude struggled -against her anger.</p> - -<p>"It's all this confusion going on in the place," she murmured.</p> - -<p>Thereupon Mouret approached her and said in a lower voice: "Have the -goodness to come to my office this evening after business. I wish to -speak to you."</p> - -<p>Greatly agitated, she bowed her head without replying a word; and went -into the department where the other saleswomen were now arriving. -Bourdoncle, however, had overheard Mouret, and looked at him with a -smile. He even ventured to say when they were alone: "That girl again! -Be careful; it will end by becoming serious!"</p> - -<p>But Mouret hastily defended himself, concealing his emotion beneath an -air of superior indifference. "Never fear, it's only a joke! The woman -who'll catch me isn't born, my dear fellow!"</p> - -<p>And then, as the shop was opening at last, he rushed off to give a -final look at the various departments. Bourdoncle shook his head. -That girl Denise, so simple and quiet, began to make him feel uneasy. -The first time, he had conquered by a brutal dismissal. But she had -returned, and he felt her power to be so much increased that he now -treated her as a redoubtable adversary, remaining mute before her and -again patiently waiting developments. When he overtook Mouret, he found -him downstairs, in the Saint-Augustin Hall, opposite the entrance door, -where he was shouting:</p> - -<p>"Are you playing the fool with me? I ordered the blue parasols to be -put as a border. Just pull all that down, and be quick about it!"</p> - -<p>He would listen to nothing; a gang of messengers had to come and -re-arrange the exhibition of parasols. Then seeing that customers were -arriving, he even had the doors closed for a moment, declaring that -he would rather keep the place shut than have the blue parasols in -the centre. It ruined his composition. The renowned dressers of the -Paradise, Hutin, Mignot, and others, came to look at the change he was -carrying out, but they affected not to understand it, theirs being a -different school.</p> - -<p>At last the doors were again opened, and the crowd flowed in. From -the outset, long before the shop was full, there was such a crush at -the doorway that they were obliged to call the police to regulate the -traffic on the foot pavement. Mouret had calculated correctly; all -the housewives, a compact troop of middle-class women and work women, -swarmed around the bargains and remnants displayed in the open street. -They felt the "hung" goods at the entrance; calico at seven sous the -mètre, wool and cotton grey stuff at nine sous, and, above all, some -Orleans at seven sous and a half, which was fast emptying the poorer -purses. Then there was feverish jostling and crushing around the -shelves and baskets where articles at reduced prices, lace at two sous, -ribbon at five, garters at three the pair, gloves, petticoats, cravats, -cotton socks, and stockings, were quickly disappearing, as if swallowed -up by the voracious crowd. In spite of the cold, the shopmen who were -selling in the street could not serve fast enough. One woman cried out -with pain in the crush and two little girls were nearly stifled.</p> - -<p>All the morning this crush went on increasing. Towards one o'clock -there was a crowd waiting to enter; the street was blocked as in a -time of riot. Just at that moment, as Madame de Boves and her daughter -Blanche stood hesitating on the pavement opposite, they were accosted -by Madame Marty, also accompanied by her daughter Valentine.</p> - -<p>"What a crowd—eh?" said the countess. "They're killing themselves -inside. I ought not to have come, I was in bed, but got up to take a -little fresh air."</p> - -<p>"It's just like me," said the other. "I promised my husband to go and -see his sister at Montmartre. Then just as I was passing, I thought -of a piece of braid I wanted. I may as well buy it here as anywhere -else, mayn't I? Oh, I shan't spend another sou! in fact I don't want -anything."</p> - -<p>However, seized, carried away as it were, by the force of the crowd, -they did not take their eyes off the door.</p> - -<p>"No, no, I'm not going in, I'm afraid," murmured Madame de Boves. -"Blanche, let's go away, we should be crushed."</p> - -<p>But her voice failed her, she was gradually yielding to a desire to -follow the others; and her fears dissolved before the irresistible -attractions of the crush. Madame Marty likewise was giving way, -repeating the while: "Keep hold of my dress, Valentine. Ah, well! I've -never seen such a thing before. I'm lifted off my feet. What will it be -inside?"</p> - -<p>Caught by the current the ladies could not now go back. Just as rivers -attract the fugitive waters of a valley, so it seemed as if the stream -of customers, flowing into the vestibule, was absorbing the passers-by, -drinking in people from the four corners of Paris. They advanced -but slowly, squeezed almost to death, and maintained upright by the -shoulders around them; and their desires already derived enjoyment from -this painful entrance which heightened their curiosity. It was a medley -of ladies arrayed in silk, of poorly dressed middle-class women, and of -bare-headed girls, all excited and carried away by the same passion. A -few men, buried beneath the overflowing bosoms, were casting anxious -glances around them. A nurse, in the thickest of the crowd, held her -baby above her head, the youngster crowing with delight. The only one -to get angry was a skinny woman who broke out into bad words, accusing -her neighbour of digging right into her.</p> - -<p>"I really think I shall lose my skirts in this crowd," remarked Madame -de Boves.</p> - -<p>Mute, her face still cool from the open air, Madame Marty was standing -on tip-toe in her endeavour to catch a glimpse of the depths of the -shop before the others. The pupils of her grey eyes were as contracted -as those of a cat coming out of the broad daylight, and she had the -restful feeling, and clear expression of a person just waking up.</p> - -<p>"Ah, at last!" said she, heaving a sigh.</p> - -<p>The ladies had just extricated themselves. They were in the -Saint-Augustin Hall, which they were greatly surprised to find almost -empty. But a feeling of comfort penetrated them, they seemed to be -entering into spring after emerging from the winter of the street. -Whilst the piercing wind, laden with rain and hail, was still blowing -out of doors, the fine season was already budding forth in The Paradise -galleries, with the light stuffs, soft flowery shades and rural gaiety -of summer dresses and parasols.</p> - -<p>"Do look there!" exclaimed Madame de Boves, standing motionless, her -eyes in the air.</p> - -<p>It was the exhibition of parasols. Wide-open and rounded like shields, -they covered the whole hall, from the glazed roofing to the varnished -oak mouldings below. They described festoons round the arches of the -upper storeys; they descended in garlands down the slender columns; -they ran in close lines along the balustrades of the galleries and the -staircases; and everywhere ranged symmetrically, speckling the walls -with red, green, and yellow, they looked like huge Venetian lanterns, -lighted up for some colossal entertainment. In the corners were more -complicated designs, stars composed of parasols at thirty-nine sous -whose light shades, pale blue, cream-white, and blush rose, had the -subdued glow of night-lights; whilst, up above, immense Japanese -parasols, on which golden-coloured cranes soared in purple skies, -blazed forth with fiery reflections.</p> - -<p>Madame Marty endeavouring to find a phrase to express her rapture, -exclaimed: "It's like fairyland!" And then trying to find out where she -was she continued: "Let's see, the braid is in the mercery department. -I shall buy my braid and be off."</p> - -<p>"I will go with you," said Madame de Boves. "Eh? Blanche, we'll just go -through the shop, nothing more."</p> - -<p>But they had hardly left the door before they lost themselves. They -turned to the left, and as the mercery department had been moved, -they dropped into the one devoted to collarettes, cuffs, trimmings, -etc. A hot-house heat, moist and close, laden with the insipid odour -of the materials, and muffling the tramping of the crowd, prevailed -in the galleries. Then they returned to the door, where an outward -current was already established, an interminable <i>défilé</i> of women -and children, above whom hovered a multitude of red air-balls. Forty -thousand of these were ready; there were men specially placed for their -distribution; and to see the customers on their way out, one might have -imagined that a flight of enormous soap-bubbles, reflecting the fiery -glare of the parasols, was hovering in the air. The whole place was -illuminated by them.</p> - -<p>"There's quite a world here!" declared Madame de Boves. "You hardly -know where you are."</p> - -<p>However, the ladies could not remain in the eddy of the door, right in -the crush of the entrance and exit. Fortunately, inspector Jouve came -to their assistance. He stood in the vestibule, grave and attentive, -eyeing each woman as she passed. Specially charged with the indoor -police service he was on the look-out for thieves and "lifters."</p> - -<p>"The mercery department, ladies?" said he obligingly, "turn to the -left; you see! just there behind the hosiery department."</p> - -<p>Madame de Boves thanked him. But Madame Marty, on turning round, no -longer saw her daughter Valentine beside her. She was beginning to -feel frightened, when she caught sight of her, already a long way -off, at the end of the Saint-Augustin Hall, deeply absorbed before a -table covered with a heap of women's cravats at nineteen sous. Mouret -practised the system of offering articles to the customers, hooking -and plundering them as they passed; for he made use of every sort of -advertisement, laughing at the discretion of certain fellow-tradesmen -who thought their goods should be left to speak for themselves. Special -salesmen, idle and smooth-tongued Parisians, in this way got rid of -considerable quantities of small trashy things.</p> - -<p>"Oh, mamma!" murmured Valentine, "just look at these cravats. They have -a bird embroidered at one corner."</p> - -<p>The shopman cracked up the article, swore that it was all silk, that -the manufacturer had become bankrupt, and that they would never have -such a bargain again.</p> - -<p>"Nineteen sous—is it possible?" said Madame Marty, tempted like her -daughter. "Well! I can take a couple, that won't ruin us."</p> - -<p>Madame de Boves, however, disdained this style of thing; she detested -to have things offered to her. A shopman calling her made her run away. -Madame Marty, surprised, could not understand such nervous horror of -commercial quackery, for she was of another nature; she was one of -those women who delight in being thus caressed by a public offer, in -plunging their hands into everything, and wasting their time in useless -talk.</p> - -<p>"Now," said she, "I'm going for my braid. I don't wish to see anything -else."</p> - -<p>However, as she crossed the scarf and glove departments, her heart once -more failed her. Here in the diffuse light was a display made up of -bright gay colours, of ravishing effect. The counters, symmetrically -arranged, seemed like so many flower-borders, changing the hall into -a French garden, where smiled a soft scale of blossoms. Lying now on -the bare wood, now in open boxes, and now protruding from overflowing -drawers was a quantity of silk handkerchiefs of every hue. You -found the bright scarlet of the geranium, the creamy white of the -petunia, the golden yellow of the chrysanthemum, the celestial azure -of the verbena; and higher up, on brass rods, another florescence -was entwined, a florescence of carelessly hung <i>fichus</i> and unrolled -ribbons, quite a brilliant <i>cordon</i>, which extended on and on, climbing -the columns and constantly multiplying in the mirrors. But what most -attracted the throng was a Swiss chalet in the glove department, a -chalet made entirely of gloves, Mignot's <i>chef d'œuvre</i> which it had -taken him two days to arrange. In the first place, the ground-floor -was composed of black gloves; and then in turn came straw-coloured, -mignonette, and tan-coloured gloves, distributed over the decoration, -bordering the windows, outlining the balconies, and taking the place of -the tiles.</p> - -<p>"What do you desire, madame?" asked Mignot, on seeing Madame Marty -planted before the cottage. "Here are some Suède gloves at one franc -seventy-five centimes the pair, first quality."</p> - -<p>He offered his wares with furious energy, calling the passing customers -to his counter and dunning them with his politeness. And as she shook -her head in token of refusal he continued: "Tyrolian gloves, one franc -twenty-five. Turin gloves for children, embroidered gloves in all -colours."</p> - -<p>"No, thanks; I don't want anything," declared Madame Marty.</p> - -<p>But realising that her voice was softening, he attacked her with -greater energy than ever, holding the embroidered gloves before her -eyes; and she could not resist, she bought a pair. Then, as Madame de -Boves looked at her with a smile, she blushed.</p> - -<p>"Don't you think me childish—eh? If I don't make haste and get my -braid and be off, I shall be done for."</p> - -<p>Unfortunately, there was such a crush in the mercery department that -she could not get served. They had both been waiting for over ten -minutes, and were getting annoyed, when a sudden meeting with Madame -Bourdelais and her three children diverted their attention. Madame -Bourdelais explained, with her quiet practical air, that she had -brought the little ones to see the show. Madeleine was ten, Edmond -eight, and Lucien four years old; and they were laughing with joy, it -was a cheap treat which they had long looked forward to.</p> - -<p>"Those red parasols are really too comical; I must buy one," said -Madame Marty all at once, stamping with impatience at doing nothing.</p> - -<p>She choose one at fourteen francs and a half; whereupon Madame -Bourdelais, after watching the purchase with a look of censure, said to -her amicably: "You are wrong to be in such a hurry. In a month's time -you could have had it for ten francs. They won't catch me like that."</p> - -<p>And thereupon she developed quite a theory of careful housekeeping. -Since the shops lowered their prices, it was simply a question of -waiting. She did not wish to be taken in by them, she preferred to -profit by their real bargains. She even showed some malice in the -struggle, boasting that she had never left them a sou of profit.</p> - -<p>"Come," said she at last, "I've promised my little ones to show them -the pictures upstairs in the reading-room. Come up with us, you have -plenty of time."</p> - -<p>And thereupon the braid was forgotten. Madame Marty yielded at once, -whilst Madame de Boves declined, preferring to take a turn on the -ground-floor first of all. Besides, they were sure to meet again -upstairs. Madame Bourdelais was looking for a staircase when she -perceived one of the lifts; and thereupon she pushed her children into -it, in order to cap their pleasure. Madame Marty and Valentine also -entered the narrow cage, where they were very closely packed; however -the mirrors, the velvet seats, and the polished brasswork took up so -much of their attention that they reached the first floor without -having felt the gentle ascent of the machine. Another pleasure was -in store for them, in the first gallery. As they passed before the -refreshment bar, Madame Bourdelais did not fail to gorge her little -family with syrup. It was a square room with a large marble counter; -at either end there were silvered filters from which trickled small -streams of water; whilst rows of bottles stood on small shelves -behind. Three waiters were continually engaged in wiping and filling -the glasses. To restrain the thirsty crowd, they had been obliged to -imitate the practice followed at theatres and railway-stations, by -erecting a barrier draped with velvet. The crush was terrific. Some -people, whom these gratuitous treats rendered altogether unscrupulous, -really made themselves ill.</p> - -<p>"Well! where are they?" exclaimed Madame Bourdelais, when she -extricated herself from the crowd, after wiping the children's faces -with her handkerchief.</p> - -<p>But she caught sight of Madame Marty and Valentine at the further -end of another gallery, a long way off. Buried beneath a heap of -petticoats, they were still buying. There was no more restraint, mother -and daughter vanished in the fever of expenditure which was carrying -them away. When Madame Bourdelais at last reached the reading-room she -installed Madeleine, Edmond, and Lucien before the large table; and -taking some photographic albums from one of the book-cases she brought -them to them. The ceiling of the long apartment was covered with -gilding; at either end was a monumental chimney-piece; some pictures of -no great merit but very richly framed, covered the walls; and between -the columns, before each of the arched bays opening into the shop, -were tall green plants in majolica vases. A silent throng surrounded -the table, which was littered with reviews and newspapers, with here -and there some ink-stands, boxes of stationery, and blotting-pads. -Ladies took off their gloves, and wrote letters on the paper stamped -with the name of the establishment, through which they ran their -pens. A few gentlemen, lolling back in armchairs, were reading the -newspapers. But a great many people sat there doing nothing: these -were husbands waiting for their wives, who were roaming through the -various departments, young women on the watch for their lovers, and old -relations left there as in a cloak-room, to be taken away when it was -time to leave. And all these people lounged and rested whilst glancing -through the open bays into the depths of the galleries and the halls, -whence a distant murmur ascended amidst the scratching of pens and the -rustling of newspapers.</p> - -<p>"What! you here!" said Madame Bourdelais all at once. "I didn't -recognise you."</p> - -<p>Near the children sat a lady, her face hidden by the open pages of a -review. It was Madame Guibal. She seemed annoyed at the meeting; but -quickly recovering herself, related that she had come to sit down for a -moment in order to escape the crush. And as Madame Bourdelais asked her -if she was going to make any purchases, she replied with her languorous -air, veiling the egoistical greediness of her glance with her eyelids:</p> - -<p>"Oh! no. On the contrary, I have come to return some goods. Yes, some -door-curtains which I don't like. But there is such a crowd that I am -waiting to get near the department."</p> - -<p>Then she went on talking, saying how convenient this system of returns -was; formerly she had never bought anything, but now she sometimes -allowed herself to be tempted. In fact, she returned four articles -out of every five, and was getting known at all the counters for the -strange trafficking she carried on—a trafficking easily divined by the -perpetual discontent which made her bring back her purchases one by -one, after she had kept them several days. However, whilst speaking, -she did not take her eyes off the doors of the reading-room; and she -appeared greatly relieved when Madame Bourdelais rejoined her children, -to explain the photographs to them. Almost at the same moment Monsieur -de Boves and Paul de Vallagnosc came in. The count, who affected to -be showing the young man through the new buildings, exchanged a quick -glance with Madame Guibal; and she then plunged into her review again, -as if she had not seen him.</p> - -<p>"Hallo, Paul!" suddenly exclaimed a voice behind the two gentlemen.</p> - -<p>It was Mouret taking a glance round the various departments. They shook -hands, and he at once inquired:</p> - -<p>"Has Madame de Boves done us the honour of coming?"</p> - -<p>"Well, no," replied the husband, "and she very much regrets it. She's -not very well. Oh! nothing dangerous, however!"</p> - -<p>But he suddenly pretended to catch sight of Madame Guibal, and hastened -off, approaching her bareheaded, whilst the others merely bowed to her -from a distance. She also pretended to be surprised. Paul smiled; he -now understood the affair, and he related to Mouret in a low voice how -Boves, whom he had met in the Rue de Richelieu, had tried to get away -from him, and had finished by dragging him into The Ladies' Paradise, -under the pretext that he must show him the new buildings. For the last -year the lady had drawn all the money she could from Boves, making -constant appointments with him in public places, churches, museums, and -shops.</p> - -<p>"Just look at him," added the young man, "isn't he splendid, standing -there before her with his dignified air? It's the old French gallantry, -my dear fellow, the old French gallantry!"</p> - -<p>"And your marriage?" asked Mouret.</p> - -<p>Paul, without taking his eyes off the count, replied that they were -still waiting for the death of the aunt. Then, with a triumphant air, -he added: "There, did you see him? He stooped down, and slipped an -address into her hand. She's now accepting the rendezvous with the -most virtuous air. She's a terrible woman is that delicate red-haired -creature with her careless ways. Well! some fine things go on in your -place!"</p> - -<p>"Oh!" replied Mouret, smiling, "these ladies are not in my house, they -are at home here."</p> - -<p>Then, still continuing his gossip, he carried his old comrade along -to the threshold of the reading-room, opposite the grand central -gallery, whose successive halls spread out below them. In the rear, -the reading-room still retained its quietude, only disturbed by the -scratching of pens and the rustling of newspapers. One old gentleman -had gone to sleep over the <i>Moniteur</i>. Monsieur de Boves was looking -at the pictures, with the evident intention of losing his future -son-in-law in the crowd as soon as possible. And, alone, amid this -calmness, Madame Bourdelais was amusing her children, talking very -loudly, as in a conquered place.</p> - -<p>"You see, they are quite at home," said Mouret, who pointed with a -broad gesture to the multitude of women with which the departments were -overflowing.</p> - -<p>Just then Madame Desforges, after nearly having her mantle carried away -in the crowd, at last effected an entrance and crossed the first hall. -Then, on reaching the principal gallery, she raised her eyes. It was -like a railway span, surrounded by the balustrades of the two storeys, -intersected by hanging stairways and crossed by flying bridges. The -iron staircases developed bold curves, which multiplied the landings; -the bridges suspended in space, ran straight along at a great height; -and in the white light from the windows all this iron work formed an -excessively delicate architecture, an intricate lace-work through which -the daylight penetrated, the modern realization of a dreamland palace, -of a Babel with storeys piled one above the other, and spacious halls -affording glimpses of other floors and other halls <i>ad infinitum</i>. In -fact, iron reigned everywhere: the young architect had been honest and -courageous enough not to disguise it under a coating of paint imitating -stone or wood. Down below, in order not to outshine the goods, the -decoration was sober, with large regular spaces in neutral tints; then -as the metallic work ascended, the capitals of the columns became -richer, the rivets formed ornaments, the shoulder-pieces and corbels -were covered with sculptured work; and at last, up above, glistened -painting, green and red, amidst a prodigality of gold, floods of gold, -heaps of gold, even to the glazed-work, whose panes were enamelled and -inlaid with gold. In the galleries, the bare brick-work of the arches -was also decorated in bright colours. Mosaics and faience likewise -formed part of the decoration, enlivening the friezes, and lighting up -the severe <i>ensemble</i> with their fresh tints; whilst the stairs, with -red-velvet covered hand-rails, were edged with bands of polished iron, -which shone like the steel of armour.</p> - -<p>Although Madame Desforges was already acquainted with the new -establishment, she stopped short, struck by the ardent life which that -day animated the immense nave. Below and around her continued the -eddying of the crowd; the double current of those entering and those -leaving, making itself felt as far as the silk department. It was still -a crowd of very mixed elements, though the afternoon was bringing a -greater number of ladies amongst the shopkeepers and house-wives. There -were many women in mourning, with flowing veils; and there were always -some wet nurses straying about and protecting their infantile charges -with their outstretched arms. And this sea of faces, of many-coloured -hats and bare heads, both dark and fair, rolled from one to the -other end of the galleries, vague and discoloured amidst the glare -of the stuffs. On all sides Madame Desforges saw large price-tickets -bearing enormous figures and showing prominently against the bright -printed cottons, the shining silks, and the sombre woollens. Piles of -ribbons half hid the heads of the customers, a wall of flannel threw -out a promontory; on all sides mirrors multiplied the departments, -reflecting the displays and the groups of people, now showing faces -reversed, and now halves of shoulders and arms; whilst to the right and -to the left the lateral galleries opened up other vistas, the snowy -depths of the linen department and the speckled depths of the hosiery -counters—distant views which were illumined by rays of light from some -glazed bay, and in which the crowd seemed but so much human dust. Then, -when Madame Desforges raised her eyes, she beheld on the staircases -and the flying bridges and behind the balustrades of each successive -storey, a continual buzzing ascent, an entire population in the air, -passing along behind the open work of this huge carcass of metal and -showing blackly against the diffuse light from the enamelled glass. -Large gilded lustres were suspended from the ceiling; decorations of -rugs, embroidered silks and stuffs worked with gold, hung down, draping -the balustrades as with gorgeous banners; and, from one to the other -end were clouds of lace, palpitations of muslin, trophies of silks, -fairy-like groups of half-dressed dummies; and right at the top, above -all the confusion, the bedding department, hanging, as it were, in the -air, displayed its little iron bedsteads provided with mattresses, and -hung with curtains, the whole forming a sort of school dormitory asleep -amidst the tramping of the customers, who became fewer and fewer as the -departments ascended.</p> - -<p>"Does madame require a cheap pair of garters?" asked a salesman -of Madame Desforges on seeing her standing still. "All silk, at -twenty-nine sous."</p> - -<p>She did not condescend to answer. Things were being offered around her -more feverishly than ever. She wanted, however, to find out where she -was. Albert Lhomme's pay-desk was on her left; he knew her by sight -and ventured to give her an amiable smile, not showing the least hurry -amidst the heaps of bills by which he was besieged; though behind him, -Joseph, struggling with the string-box, could not pack up the articles -fast enough. She then saw where she was; the silk department must be -in front of her. But it took her ten minutes to reach it, so dense -was the crowd becoming. Up in the air, at the end of their invisible -strings, the red air-balls had become more numerous than ever; they now -formed clouds of purple, gently blowing towards the doors whence they -continued scattering over Paris; and she had to bow her head beneath -their flight whenever very young children held them with the string -rolled round their little fingers.</p> - -<p>"What! you have ventured here, madame?" exclaimed Bouthemont gaily, as -soon as he caught sight of Madame Desforges.</p> - -<p>The manager of the silk department, introduced to her by Mouret -himself, now occasionally called on her at her five o'clock tea. She -thought him common, but very amiable, of a fine sanguine temper, which -surprised and amused her. Moreover some two days previously he had -boldly told her of the intrigue between Mouret and Clara, He had not -done this with any calculating motive but out of sheer stupidity, -like a fellow who loves a joke. She, however, stung with jealousy, -concealing her wounded feelings beneath an appearance of disdain, had -that afternoon come to try and discover her rival, a young lady in the -mantle department, so Bouthemont had told her, though declining to give -the name.</p> - -<p>"Do you require anything to-day?" he inquired.</p> - -<p>"Of course, or I should not have come. Have you any <i>foulard</i> for -morning gowns?"</p> - -<p>She hoped to obtain the name of the young lady from him, for she was -full of a desire to see her. He immediately called Favier; and then -went on chatting whilst waiting for the salesman, who was just serving -another customer. This happened to be "the pretty lady," that beautiful -blonde of whom the whole department occasionally spoke, without knowing -anything of her life or even her name. This time the pretty lady was -in deep mourning. Whom could she have lost—her husband or her father? -Not her father, for she would have appeared more melancholy. What had -they all been saying then? She could not be a questionable character; -she must have had a real husband—that is unless she were in mourning -for her mother. For a few minutes, despite the press of business, the -department exchanged these various speculations.</p> - -<p>"Make haste! it's intolerable!" cried Hutin to Favier, when he returned -from showing his customer to the pay-desk. "Whenever that lady is here -you never seem to finish. She doesn't care a fig for you!"</p> - -<p>"She cares a deuced sight more for me than I do for her!" replied the -vexed salesman.</p> - -<p>But Hutin threatened to report him to the directors if he did not show -more respect for the customers. The second-hand was becoming terrible, -of a morose severity ever since the department had conspired to get -him Robineau's place. He even showed himself so intolerable, after all -the promises of good-fellowship, with which he had formerly warmed his -colleagues' zeal, that the latter were now secretly supporting Favier -against him.</p> - -<p>"Now, then, no back answers," replied Hutin sharply. "Monsieur -Bouthemont wishes you to show some <i>foulards</i> of the lightest patterns."</p> - -<p>In the middle of the department, an exhibition of summer silks -illumined the hall with an aurora-like brilliancy, like the rising -of a planet amidst the most delicate tints: pale rose, soft yellow, -limpid blue, indeed the whole scarf of Iris. There were <i>foulards</i> of -a cloudy fineness, surahs lighter than the down falling from trees, -satined pekins as soft and supple as a Chinese beauty's skin. Then -came Japanese pongees, Indian tussores and corahs, without counting -the light French silks, the narrow stripes, the small checks and the -flowered patterns, all the most fanciful designs, which made one think -of ladies in furbelows, strolling in the sweet May mornings, under the -spreading trees of some park.</p> - -<p>"I'll take this, the Louis XIV, with figured roses," said Madame -Desforges at last.</p> - -<p>And whilst Favier was measuring it, she made a last attempt with -Bouthemont, who had remained near her.</p> - -<p>"I'm going up to the ready-made department to see if they have any -travelling cloaks. Is she fair, the young lady you were talking about?"</p> - -<p>The manager, who felt rather anxious on finding her so persistent, -merely smiled. But, just at that moment, Denise passed by. She had just -come from the merinoes which were in the charge of Liénard to whom she -had escorted Madame Boutarel, that provincial lady who came to Paris -twice a year, to scatter the money she saved out of her housekeeping -all over the Ladies' Paradise. And thereupon, just as Favier was about -to take up Madame Desforges's silk, Hutin, thinking to annoy him, -interfered.</p> - -<p>"It's quite unnecessary, Mademoiselle will have the kindness to conduct -this lady."</p> - -<p>Denise, quite confused, at once took charge of the parcel and the -debit-note. She could never meet this young man face to face without -experiencing a feeling of shame, as if he reminded her of some former -fault; and yet she had only sinned in her dreams.</p> - -<p>"But just tell me," said Madame Desforges, in a low tone, to -Bouthemont, "isn't it this awkward girl? He has taken her back, I see? -It must be she who is the heroine of the adventure!"</p> - -<p>"Perhaps," replied the silk manager, still smiling, but fully decided -not to tell the truth.</p> - -<p>Madame Desforges then slowly ascended the staircase, preceded by -Denise; but after every two or three steps she had to pause in order -to avoid being carried away by the descending crowd. In the living -vibration of the whole building, the iron supports seemed to sway under -your feet as if quivering beneath the breath of the multitude. On each -stair was a strongly fixed dummy, displaying some garment or other: a -costume, cloak, or dressing-gown; and the whole was like a double row -of soldiers at attention whilst some triumphal procession went past.</p> - -<p>Madame Desforges was at last reaching the first storey, when a still -greater surging of the crowd forced her to stop once more. Beneath her -she now had the departments on the ground-floor, with the press of -customers through which she had just passed. This was a new spectacle, -a sea of fore-shortened heads, swarming with agitation like an -ant-hill. The white price-tickets now seemed but so many narrow lines, -the piles of ribbon became quite squat, the promontory of flannel -was but a thin partition barring the gallery; whilst the carpets and -the embroidered silks which decked the balustrades hung down like -processional banners suspended from the gallery of a church. In the -distance Madame Desforges could perceive some corners of the lateral -galleries, just as from the top of a steeple one perceives the corners -of neighbouring streets, with black specks of passers-by moving about. -But what surprised her above all, in the weariness of her eyes blinded -by the brilliant medley of colours, was, on lowering their lids, -to realize the presence of the crowd more keenly than ever, by its -dull roar like that of the rising tide, and the human warmth that it -exhaled. A fine dust rose from the floor, laden with <i>odore di femina</i>, -a penetrating perfume, which seemed like the incense of this temple -raised for the worship of woman.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Mouret, still standing before the reading-room with -Vallagnosc, was inhaling this odour, intoxicating himself with it, and -repeating: "They are quite at home. I know some who spend the whole day -here, eating cakes and writing letters. There's only one thing left me -to do, and that is, to find them beds."</p> - -<p>This joke made Paul smile, he who, in his pessimistic boredom -considered the turbulence of this multitude running after a lot of -gew-gaws to be idiotic. Whenever he came to give his old comrade a -look-up, he went away almost vexed to find him so full of life amidst -his people of coquettes. Would not one of them, with shallow brain and -empty heart, some day make him realize the stupidity and uselessness of -life? That very day Octave seemed to have lost some of his equilibrium; -he who generally inspired his customers with a fever, with the tranquil -grace of an operator, was as though caught by the passion which was -gradually consuming the whole establishment. Since he had caught sight -of Denise and Madame Desforges coming up the grand staircase, he had -been talking louder, gesticulating against his will; and though he -affected not to turn his face towards them, he grew more and more -animated as he felt them drawing nearer. His face became flushed and in -his eyes was a little of that bewildered rapture with which the eyes of -his customers at last quivered.</p> - -<p>"You must be fearfully robbed," murmured Vallagnosc, who thought that -the crowd looked very criminal.</p> - -<p>Mouret threw his arms out. "My dear fellow, it's beyond all -imagination," said he.</p> - -<p>And, nervously, delighted at having something to talk about, he gave -a number of details, related cases, and classified the delinquents. -In the first place, there were the professional thieves; these women -did the least harm of all, for the police knew every one of them. Then -came the kleptomaniacs, who stole from a perverse desire, a new form -of nervous affection which a doctor had classed, showing it to be the -result of the temptations of the big shops. And finally came the women -who were <i>enceintes</i> and whose thefts were invariably thefts of some -especially coveted article. For instance, at the house of one of them, -the district commissary of police had found two hundred and forty-eight -pairs of pink gloves stolen from well nigh every shop in Paris.</p> - -<p>"That's what gives the women such funny eyes here, then," murmured -Vallagnosc, "I've been watching them with their greedy, shameful looks, -like mad creatures. A fine school for honesty!"</p> - -<p>"Hang it!" replied Mouret, "though we make them quite at home, we -can't let them take the goods away under their mantles. And sometimes -they are very respectable people. Last week we caught the sister of a -chemist, and the wife of a judge. Yes, the wife of a judge! However, we -always try to settle these matters."</p> - -<p>He paused to point out Jouve, who was just then looking sharply after -a woman at the ribbon counter below. This woman, who appeared to be -suffering a great deal from the jostling of the crowd, was accompanied -by a friend, whose mission seemed to be to protect her against all -hurt, and each time she stopped in a department, Jouve kept his eyes on -her, whilst her friend near by ransacked the card-board boxes at her -ease.</p> - -<p>"Oh! he'll catch her!" resumed Mouret; "he knows all their tricks."</p> - -<p>But his voice trembled and he laughed in an awkward manner. Denise and -Henriette, whom he had ceased to watch, were at last passing behind -him, after having had a great deal of trouble to get out of the crush. -He turned round suddenly, and bowed to his customer with the discreet -air of a friend who does not desire to compromise a woman by stopping -her in a crowd of people. But Henriette, on the alert, had at once -perceived the look with which he had first enveloped Denise. It must be -this girl—thought she—yes, this was the rival she had been curious to -come and see.</p> - -<p>In the mantle department, the young ladies were fast losing their -heads. Two of them had fallen ill, and Madame Frédéric, the -second-hand, had quietly given notice the previous day, and repaired to -the cashier's office to take her money, leaving The Ladies' Paradise -at a minute's notice, just as The Ladies' Paradise itself discharged -its employees. Ever since the morning, in spite of the feverish rush of -business, every one had been talking of this affair. Clara, still kept -in the department by Mouret's caprice, thought it grand. Marguerite -related how exasperated Bourdoncle was; whilst Madame Aurélie, greatly -vexed, declared that Madame Frédéric ought at least to have informed -her, for such hypocrisy had never before been heard of.</p> - -<p>Although Madame Frédéric had never confided in any one, she was -suspected of having relinquished her position to marry the proprietor -of some baths in the neighbourhood of the Halles.</p> - -<p>"It's a travelling cloak that madame desires, I believe?" inquired -Denise of Madame Desforges, after offering her a chair.</p> - -<p>"Yes," curtly replied the latter, who had made up her mind to be -impolite.</p> - -<p>The new decorations of the department were of a rich severity: on -all sides were high carved oak cupboards with mirrors filling the -whole space of their panels, while a red carpet muffled the continued -tramping of the customers. Whilst Denise went off to fetch the cloaks, -Madame Desforges, who was looking round, perceived her face in a glass; -and she continued contemplating herself. Was she getting old then that -she should be cast aside for the first-comer? The glass reflected the -entire department with all its commotion, but she only beheld her own -pale face; she did not hear Clara behind her, relating to Marguerite a -story of Madame Frédéric's mysterious goings-on, the manner in which -she went out of her way night and morning so as to pass through the -Passage Choiseul, and thus make people believe that she lived over the -water.</p> - -<p>"Here are our latest designs," said Denise. "We have them in several -colours."</p> - -<p>She laid out four or five cloaks. Madame Desforges looked at them with -a scornful air, and became harsher at each fresh one that she examined. -What was the reason of those pleats which made the garment look so -scanty? And that other one, square across the shoulders, why, you might -have thought it had been cut out with a hatchet! Though people went -travelling they could not dress like sentry-boxes!</p> - -<p>"Show me something else, mademoiselle."</p> - -<p>Denise unfolded and refolded the garments without the slightest sign -of ill temper. And it was just this calm, serene patience which -exasperated Madame Desforges the more. Her glances continually returned -to the glass in front of her. Now that she saw herself there, close to -Denise she ventured on a comparison. Was it possible that he should -prefer that insignificant creature to herself? She now remembered that -this was the girl whom she had formerly seen cutting such a silly -figure at the time of her début—as clumsy as any peasant wench freshly -arrived from her village. No doubt she looked better now, stiff and -correct in her silk gown. But how puny, how common-place she was!</p> - -<p>"I will show you some other patterns, madame," said Denise, quietly.</p> - -<p>When she returned, the scene began again. Then it was the cloth that -was too heavy or of no good whatever. And Madame Desforges turned -round, raising her voice, and endeavouring to attract Madame Aurélie's -attention, in the hope of getting the girl a scolding. But Denise, -since her return, had gradually conquered the department, and now -felt quite at home in it; the first-hand had even recognised that she -possessed some rare and valuable qualities as a saleswoman—a stubborn -sweetness, a smiling force of conviction. And thus when Madame Aurélie -heard Madame Desforges she simply shrugged her shoulders, taking care -not to interfere.</p> - -<p>"Would you kindly tell me the kind of garment you require, madame?" -asked Denise, once more, with her polite persistence, which nothing -could discourage.</p> - -<p>"But you've got nothing!" exclaimed Madame Desforges.</p> - -<p>She stopped short, surprised to feel a hand laid on her shoulder. -It was the hand of Madame Marty, who was being carried through the -establishment by her fever for spending. Since the cravats, the -embroidered gloves, and the red parasol, her purchases had increased to -such an extent that the last salesman had just decided to place them -all on a chair, as to have carried them on his arm, might have broken -it; and he walked in front of her, drawing along the chair, upon which -petticoats, napkins, curtains, a lamp, and three straw hats were heaped -together.</p> - -<p>"Ah!" said she, "you are buying a travelling cloak."</p> - -<p>"Oh! dear, no," replied Madame Desforges; "they are frightful."</p> - -<p>However Madame Marty had just noticed a striped cloak which she rather -liked. Her daughter Valentine was already examining it. So Denise -called Marguerite to clear the article out of the department, it being -one of the previous year's patterns, and Marguerite, at a glance from -her comrade, presented it as an exceptional bargain. When she had sworn -that they had twice lowered the price, that they had reduced it from -a hundred and fifty francs, to a hundred and thirty, and that it was -now ticketed at a hundred and ten, Madame Marty could not withstand -the temptation of its cheapness. She bought it, and the salesman who -accompanied her thereupon went off, leaving the chair and the parcels -behind him with all the debit-notes attached to the goods.</p> - -<p>Whilst Marguerite was debiting the cloak, Madame Marty turned her head, -and on catching sight of Clara made a slight sign to Madame Desforges, -then whispered to her: "Monsieur Mouret's caprice, you know!"</p> - -<p>The other, in surprise, looked round at Clara; and then, after again -turning her eyes on Denise, replied: "But it isn't the tall one; it's -the little one!"</p> - -<p>And as Madame Marty could not be sure which of the two it was, Madame -Desforges resumed aloud, with the scorn of a lady for chambermaids: -"Perhaps both!"</p> - -<p>Denise had heard everything, and raised her large, pure eyes on this -lady who was thus wounding her, and whom she did not know. No doubt -it was the lady of whom people had spoken to her, the lady with whom -Mouret's name was so often associated. In the glances that were -exchanged between them, Denise displayed such melancholy dignity, such -frank innocence, that Henriette felt quite uncomfortable.</p> - -<p>"As you have nothing presentable to show me here, conduct me to the -dress and costume department," she said all at once.</p> - -<p>"I'll go with you as well," exclaimed Madame Marty, "I wanted to see a -costume for Valentine."</p> - -<p>Marguerite thereupon took the chair by its back, and dragged it along -on its hind legs, which were getting rather worn by this species of -locomotion. Denise on her side only carried the few yards of silk, -bought by Madame Desforges. They had, however, quite a journey before -them now that the robes and costumes were installed on the second -floor, at the other end of the establishment.</p> - -<p>And the long walk commenced along the crowded galleries. Marguerite -went in front, drawing the chair along, like some little vehicle, -and slowly opening a passage. As soon as she reached the under-linen -department, Madame Desforges began to complain: wasn't it ridiculous, -a shop where you were obliged to walk a couple of leagues to find the -least thing! Madame Marty also declared that she was tired to death, -yet she none the less enjoyed this fatigue, this slow exhaustion of -strength, amidst the inexhaustible wealth of merchandise displayed on -every side. Mouret's idea, full of genius, had absolutely subjugated -her and she paused in each fresh department. She made a first halt -before the trousseaux, tempted by some chemises which Pauline sold -her; and Marguerite then found herself relieved of the burden of -the chair, which Pauline had to take, with the debit-notes. Madame -Desforges might have gone on her way, and thus have liberated Denise -more speedily, but she seemed happy to feel her behind her, motionless -and patient, whilst she also lingered, advising her friend. In the -baby-linen department the ladies went into ecstasies, but, of course, -without buying anything. Then Madame Marty's weaknesses began anew; she -succumbed successively before a black silk corset, a pair of fur cuffs, -sold at a reduction on account of the lateness of the season, and some -Russian lace much in vogue at that time for trimming table-linen. All -these things were heaped up on the chair, the number of parcels still -increased, making the chair creak; and the salesmen who succeeded -one another, found it more and more difficult to drag the improvised -vehicle along as its load became heavier and heavier.</p> - -<p>"This way, madame," said Denise without a murmur, after each halt.</p> - -<p>"But it's absurd!" exclaimed Madame Desforges. "We shall never get -there. Why did they not put the dresses and costumes near the mantles -department? It <i>is</i> a mess!"</p> - -<p>Madame Marty, whose eyes were sparkling, intoxicated by the succession -of riches dancing before her, repeated in an undertone: "Oh, dear! What -will my husband say? You are right, there is no order in this place. A -person loses herself and commits all sorts of follies."</p> - -<p>On the great central landing there was scarcely room for the chair to -pass, as Mouret had just blocked the open space with a lot of fancy -goods—cups mounted on gilt zinc, flash dressing-cases and liqueur -stands—being of opinion that the crowd there was not sufficiently -great, and that circulation was too easy. And he had also authorized -one of his shopmen to exhibit on a small table there some Chinese and -Japanese curiosities, low-priced knick-knacks which customers eagerly -snatched up. It was an unexpected success, and he already thought of -extending this branch of his business. Whilst two messengers carried -the chair up to the second floor, Madame Marty purchased six ivory -studs, some silk mice, and a lacquered match-box.</p> - -<p>On the second floor the journey began afresh. Denise, who had been -showing customers about in this way ever since the morning, was sinking -with fatigue; but she still continued correct, gentle, and polite. -She again had to wait for the ladies in the furnishing materials -department, where a delightful cretonne had caught Madame Marty's eye. -Then, in the furniture department, a work-table took her fancy. Her -hands trembled, and with a laugh she was entreating Madame Desforges to -prevent her from spending any more money, when a meeting with Madame -Guibal furnished her with an excuse to continue her purchases. The -meeting took place in the carpet department, whither Madame Guibal had -gone to return some Oriental door-curtains which she had purchased five -days previously. And she was standing there, talking to the salesman, -a brawny fellow with sinewy arms, who from morning to night carried -loads heavy enough to break a bullock's back. Naturally he was in -consternation at this "return," which deprived him of his commission, -and so did his best to embarrass his customer, suspecting some queer -adventure, no doubt a ball given with these curtains, bought at The -Ladies' Paradise, and then returned, to avoid the cost of hire at an -upholsterer's. He knew indeed that this was frequently done by the -economical middle-class people. In short, she must have some reason -for returning them; if she did not like the designs or the colours, he -would show her others, he had a most complete assortment. To all these -insinuations, however, Madame Guibal with queenly assurance replied -quietly that the curtains did not suit her; and she did not deign to -add any explanation. She refused to look at any others, and he was -obliged to give way, for the salesmen had orders to take the goods back -even if they saw that they had been used.</p> - -<p>As the three ladies went off together, and Madame Marty referred -remorsefully to the work-table for which she had no earthly need, -Madame Guibal said in her calm voice: "Well! you can return it. You saw -it was quite easy. Meantime let them send it to your house. You can put -it in your drawing-room, keep it for a time and then if you don't like -it, return it."</p> - -<p>"Ah! that's a good idea!" exclaimed Madame Marty. "If my husband makes -too much fuss, I'll send everything back." This was for her the supreme -excuse, she ceased calculating and went on buying, with the secret -wish, however, to keep everything, for she was not one of those women -who give things back.</p> - -<p>At last they arrived in the dress and costume department. But as -Denise was about to deliver to another young lady the silk which -Madame Desforges had purchased the latter seemed to change her mind, -and declared that she would decidedly take one of the travelling -cloaks, the light grey one with the hood; and Denise then had to wait -complacently till she was ready to return to the mantle department. The -girl felt that she was being treated like a servant by this imperious, -whimsical customer; but she had vowed to do her duty, and retained her -calm demeanour, notwithstanding the rising of her heart and rebellion -of her pride. Madame Desforges bought nothing in the dress and costume -department.</p> - -<p>"Oh! mamma," said Valentine, "if that little costume should only fit -me!"</p> - -<p>In a low tone, Madame Guibal was explaining her tactics to Madame -Marty. When she saw a dress she liked in a shop, she had it sent home, -took a pattern of it, and then sent it back. And thereupon Madame Marty -bought the costume for her daughter remarking: "A good idea! You are -very practical, my dear madame."</p> - -<p>They had been obliged to abandon the chair. It had been left in -distress, in the furniture department, beside the work-table, for its -weight had become too great, and its hind legs threatened to break -off. So it was arranged that all the purchases should be centralized -at one pay-desk, and thence sent down to the delivery department. -And then the ladies, still accompanied by Denise, began roaming all -over the establishment, making a second appearance in nearly every -department. They were ever on the stairs and in the galleries; and at -each moment some fresh meeting brought them to a standstill. Thus, near -the reading-room, they once more came across Madame Bourdelais and her -three children. The youngsters were loaded with parcels: Madeleine had -a dress for herself under her arm, Edmond was carrying a collection of -little shoes, whilst the youngest, Lucien, was wearing a new cap.</p> - -<p>"You as well!" said Madame Desforges, laughingly, to her old -school-friend.</p> - -<p>"Pray, don't speak of it!" exclaimed Madame Bourdelais. "I'm furious. -They get hold of us by the little ones now! You know how little I spend -on myself! But how can you expect me to resist the entreaties of these -children, who want everything? I merely came to show them round, and -here am I plundering the whole establishment!"</p> - -<p>Mouret, who still happened to be there, with Vallagnosc and Monsieur de -Boves, listened to her with a smile. She observed it, and complained -gaily, though with an undercurrent of real irritation, of these traps -laid for a mother's affection; the idea that she had just yielded to -the force of puffery raised her indignation, and he, still smiling, -bowed, fully enjoying his triumph. Monsieur de Boves meanwhile had -manœuvred so as to get near Madame Guibal, whom he ultimately followed, -for the second time trying to lose Vallagnosc; but the latter, weary of -the crush, hastened to rejoin him. And now once more Denise was brought -to a standstill, obliged to wait for the ladies. She turned her back, -and Mouret himself affected not to see her. But from that moment Madame -Desforges, with the delicate scent of a jealous woman, had no further -doubt. Whilst he was complimenting her and walking beside her, like a -gallant host, she became deeply absorbed in thought, wondering how she -could convict him of his treason.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Monsieur de Boves and Vallagnosc, who had gone on in front -with Madame Guibal, reached the lace department, a luxurious room, -surrounded by nests of carved oak drawers, which were constantly being -opened and shut. Around the columns, covered with red velvet, spirals -of white lace ascended; and from one to the other end of the department -hung festoons of guipure, whilst on the counters were quantities of -large cards, wound round with Valenciennes, Malines, and hand-made -point. At the further end two ladies were seated before a mauve silk -<i>transparent</i>, on which Deloche was placing some pieces of Chantilly, -the ladies meantime looking on in silence and without making up their -minds.</p> - -<p>"Hallo!" said Vallagnosc, quite surprised, "you said that Madame de -Boves was unwell. But she is standing over there, near that counter, -with Mademoiselle Blanche."</p> - -<p>The count could not help starting back, and casting a side glance at -Madame Guibal. "Dear me! so she is," said he.</p> - -<p>It was very warm in this room. The half stifled customers had pale -faces with glittering eyes. It seemed as if all the seductions of the -shop converged to this supreme temptation, this secluded corner of -perdition where the strongest must succumb. Women plunged their hands -into the overflowing heaps, quivering with intoxication at the contact.</p> - -<p>"I fancy those ladies are ruining you," resumed Vallagnosc, amused by -the meeting.</p> - -<p>Monsieur de Boves assumed the look of a husband who is perfectly sure -of his wife's discretion, from the simple fact that he does not give -her a copper to spend. The countess, after wandering through all the -departments with her daughter, without buying anything, had just -stranded in the lace department in a rage of unsated desire. Overcome -with fatigue, she was leaning against the counter while her clammy -hands dived into a heap of lace whence a warmth rose to her shoulders. -Then suddenly, just as her daughter turned her head and the salesman -went away, it occurred to her to slip a piece of point d'Alençon under -her mantle. But she shuddered, and dropped it, on hearing Vallagnosc -gaily saying: "Ah! we've caught you, madame."</p> - -<p>For several seconds she stood there speechless and very pale. Then she -explained that, feeling much better, she had thought she would take a -stroll. And on noticing that her husband was with Madame Guibal, she -quite recovered herself, and looked at them with such a dignified air -that the other lady felt obliged to say: "I was with Madame Desforges, -these gentlemen just met us."</p> - -<p>As it happened the other ladies came up just at that moment, -accompanied by Mouret who again detained them to point out Jouve, -who was still following the suspicious woman and her lady friend. It -was very curious, said he, they could not form an idea of the number -of thieves arrested in the lace department. Madame de Boves, who was -listening, fancied herself between a couple of gendarmes, with her -forty-five years, her luxury, and her husband's high position; however, -she felt no remorse, but reflected that she ought to have slipped the -lace up her sleeve. Jouve, however, had just decided to lay hold of -the suspicious woman, despairing of catching her in the act, but fully -suspecting that she had filled her pockets, by means of some sleight -of hand which had escaped him. But when he had taken her aside and -searched her, he was wild with confusion at finding nothing on her—not -a cravat, not a button. Her friend had disappeared. All at once he -understood: the woman he had searched had only been there as a blind; -it was the friend who had done the trick.</p> - -<p>This affair amused the ladies. Mouret, rather vexed, merely said: "Old -Jouve has been floored this time but he'll have his revenge."</p> - -<p>"Oh!" replied Vallagnosc, "I don't think he's equal to it. Besides, why -do you display such a quantity of goods? It serves you right, if you -are robbed. You ought not to tempt these poor, defenceless women so."</p> - -<p>This was the last word, which sounded like the supreme note of the day, -in the growing fever that reigned in the establishment. The ladies -separated, crossing the crowded departments for the last time. It -was four o'clock, the rays of the setting sun were darting obliquely -through the large front windows and throwing a cross light on the -glazed roofs of the halls; and in this red, fiery glow arose, like a -golden vapour, the thick dust raised by the circulation of the crowd -since early morning. A broad sheet of light streamed along the grand -central gallery, showing up the staircases, the flying bridges, all -the network of suspended iron. The mosaics and faiences of the friezes -glittered, the green and red paint reflected the fire of the lavish -gilding. The Paradise seemed like a red-hot furnace, in which the -various displays—the palaces of gloves and cravats, the festoons of -ribbons and laces, the lofty piles of linen and calico, the variegated -parterres in which bloomed the light silks and foulards—were now -burning. The exhibition of parasols, of shield-like roundness, threw -forth metallic reflections. In the distance, beyond streaks of shadow, -were counters sparkling and swarming with a throng, ablaze with -sunshine.</p> - -<p>And at this last moment, in this over-heated atmosphere, the women -reigned supreme. They had taken the whole place by storm, they were -camping there as in a conquered country, like an invading horde -installed amidst all the disorder of the goods. The salesmen, deafened -and exhausted, were now nothing but their slaves, of whom they disposed -with sovereign tyranny. Fat women elbowed their way along; even the -thinnest took up a deal of space, and became quite arrogant. They were -all there, with heads erect and gestures abrupt, quite at home, not -showing the slightest politeness to one another but making as much -use of the house as they could, even to the point of carrying away -the dust from its walls. Madame Bourdelais, desirous of making up for -her expenditure had again taken her children to the refreshment bar: -whither the crowd was now rushing with rageful thirst and appetite. -Even the mothers were gorging themselves with Malaga; since the morning -eighty quarts of syrup and seventy bottles of wine had been drunk. -After purchasing her travelling cloak, Madame Desforges had secured -some picture cards at the pay-desk; and she went away scheming how -she might get Denise into her house, so as to humiliate her before -Mouret himself, see their faces and arrive at a conclusion. And whilst -Monsieur de Boves succeeded at last in plunging into the crowd and -disappearing with Madame Guibal, Madame de Boves, followed by Blanche -and Vallagnosc, had the fancy to ask for a red air-ball, although she -had bought nothing. It would always be something, she would not go -away empty-handed, she would make a friend of her doorkeeper's little -girl with it. At the distributing counter they were just starting on -the fortieth thousand: thirty nine thousand red air-balls had already -taken flight in the warm atmosphere of the shop, a perfect cloud of red -air-balls which were now floating from one end of Paris to the other, -bearing upwards to the sky the name of The Ladies' Paradise!</p> - -<p>Five o'clock struck. Of all the ladies, Madame Marty and her daughter -were the only ones to remain, in the final throes of the day's sales. -Although ready to drop with fatigue she could not tear herself away, -being retained by so strong an attraction that although she needed -nothing she continually retraced her steps, scouring the departments -with insatiable curiosity. It was the moment in which the throng, -goaded on by puffery, completely lost its head; the sixty thousand -francs paid to the newspapers, the ten thousand bills posted on the -walls, the two hundred thousand catalogues distributed all over the -world, after emptying the women's purses, left their minds weakened by -intoxication; and they still remained shaken by Mouret's inventions, -the reduction of prices, the "returns," and the endless gallantries. -Madame Marty lingered before the various "proposal" stalls, amidst -the hoarse cries of the salesmen, the clink of the pay-desks, and the -rolling of the parcels sent down to the basement; she again traversed -the ground floor, the linen, silk, glove and woollen departments; she -again went upstairs, yielding to the metallic vibrations of the hanging -staircases and flying-bridges; she returned to the mantle, under-linen, -and lace departments; she even ascended to the second floor, to the -heights of the bedding and furniture galleries; and on all sides the -employees, Hutin and Favier, Mignot and Liénard, Deloche, Pauline and -Denise, nearly dead with fatigue, were making a final effort, snatching -victories from the last fever of the customers. This fever had -gradually increased since the morning, like the intoxication emanating -from all the tumbled stuffs. The crowd flared under the fiery glare of -the five o'clock sun. Madame Marty now had the animated nervous face of -a child after drinking pure wine. Arriving with clear eyes and fresh -skin from the cold of the street, she had slowly burnt both sight and -complexion, by the contemplation of all that luxury, those violent -colours, whose everlasting gallop irritated her passion. When she at -last went away, after saying that she would pay at home, terrified as -she was by the amount of her bill, her features were drawn, and her -eyes dilated like those of a sick person. She was obliged to fight her -way through the stubborn crush at the door, where people were almost -killing each other, amidst the struggle for bargains. Then, when she -got into the street, and again found her daughter, whom she had lost -for a moment, the fresh air made her shiver, and she remained quite -scared, her mind unhinged by the neurosis to which the great drapery -establishments give birth.</p> - -<p>In the evening, as Denise was returning from dinner, a messenger called -her: "You are wanted at the director's office, mademoiselle."</p> - -<p>She had forgotten the order which Mouret had given her in the morning, -to go to his office when the sale was over. She found him standing, -waiting for her. On going in she did not close the door, which remained -wide open.</p> - -<p>"We are very pleased with you, mademoiselle," said he, "and we have -thought of proving our satisfaction. You know in what a shameful manner -Madame Frédéric has left us. From to-morrow you will take her place as -second-hand."</p> - -<p>Denise listened to him motionless with surprise. Then she murmured in -a trembling voice: "But there are saleswomen in the department who are -much my seniors, sir."</p> - -<p>"What does that matter?" he resumed. "You are the most capable, the -most trustworthy. I select you; it's quite natural. Are you not -satisfied?"</p> - -<p>She blushed, feeling a delicious happiness and embarrassment, in which -all her original fright vanished. Why had she, before aught else, -thought of the suppositions with which this unhoped-for favour would be -received? And she remained there full of confusion, despite her sudden -burst of gratitude. With a smile he looked at her in her simple silk -dress, without a single piece of jewellery, displaying only the luxury -of her royal, blonde hair. She had become more refined, her skin was -whiter, her manner delicate and grave. Her former puny insignificance -was developing into a penetrating, gentle charm.</p> - -<p>"You are very kind, sir," she stammered. "I don't know how to tell -you——"</p> - -<p>But she was cut short by the appearance of Lhomme on the threshold. In -his hand he held a large leather bag, and with his mutilated arm he -pressed an enormous note case to his chest; whilst, behind him came his -son Albert weighed down by the load of bags he was carrying.</p> - -<p>"Five hundred and eighty-seven thousand two hundred and ten francs -thirty centimes!" exclaimed the cashier, whose flabby, worn face seemed -to light up with a ray of sunshine, in the reflection of such a huge -sum of money.</p> - -<p>It was the day's receipts, the highest that The Ladies' Paradise had -ever attained. In the distance, in the depths of the shop through which -Lhomme had just slowly passed with the heavy gait of an overladen beast -of burden, you could hear the uproar, the ripple of surprise and joy -which this colossal sum had left behind it as it passed.</p> - -<p>"Why, it's superb!" said Mouret, enchanted. "My good Lhomme, put it -down there, and take a rest, for you look quite done up. I'll have the -money taken to the central cashier's office. Yes, yes, put it all on my -table, I want to see the heap."</p> - -<p>He was full of a childish gaiety. The cashier and his son rid -themselves of their burdens. The leather bag gave out a clear, golden -ring, two of the other bags in bursting let a torrent of silver and -copper escape, whilst from the note-case peeped the corners of bank -notes. One end of the large table was entirely covered; it was like the -tumbling of a fortune picked up in ten hours.</p> - -<p>When Lhomme and Albert had retired, mopping their faces, Mouret -remained for a moment motionless, dreamy, his eyes fixed on the money. -But on raising his head, he perceived Denise, who had drawn back. Then -he began to smile again, forced her to come forward, and finished by -saying that he would make her a present of all the money she could -take in her hand; and there was a sort of love bargain beneath his -playfulness.</p> - -<p>"Look! out of the bag. I bet it would be less than a thousand francs, -your hand is so small!"</p> - -<p>But she drew back again. He loved her, then? Suddenly she understood -everything; she felt the growing flame of desire with which he had -enveloped her ever since her return to the shop. What overcame her more -than anything else was to feel her heart beating violently. Why did he -wound her with the offer of all that money, when she was overflowing -with gratitude? He was stepping nearer to her still, continuing to -joke, when, to his great annoyance, Bourdoncle came in under the -pretence of informing him of the enormous number of entries—no fewer -than seventy thousand customers had entered The Ladies' Paradise that -day. And thereupon Denise hastened off, after again expressing her -thanks.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</a></h4> - - -<p>On the first Sunday in August, the stock-taking, which had to be -finished by the evening, took place. Early in the morning all the -employees were at their posts, as on a week-day, and the work began -with closed doors, not a customer was admitted.</p> - -<p>Denise, however, had not come down with the other young ladies at eight -o'clock. Confined to her room since the previous Thursday through -having sprained her ankle whilst on her way up to the work-rooms, she -was now much better; but, as Madame Aurélie treated her indulgently, -she did not hurry down. Still after a deal of trouble she managed to -put her boots on, having resolved that she would show herself in the -department. The young ladies' bed-rooms now occupied the entire fifth -storey of the new buildings in the Rue Monsigny; there were sixty of -them, on either side of a corridor, and they were much more comfortable -than formerly, although still furnished simply with an iron bedstead, -large wardrobe, and little mahogany toilet-table. The private life -of the saleswomen was now becoming more refined and elegant; they -displayed a taste for scented soap and fine linen, quite a natural -ascent towards middle-class ways as their positions improved, although -high words and banging doors were still sometimes heard amidst the -hotel-like gust that carried them away, morning and evening. Denise, -being second-hand in her department, had one of the largest rooms with -two attic windows looking into the street. Being now in much better -circumstances she indulged in sundry little luxuries, a red eider-down -bed quilt, covered with guipure, a small carpet in front of her -wardrobe, a couple of blue-glass vases containing a few fading roses on -her toilet table.</p> - -<p>When she had succeeded in getting her boots on she tried to walk across -the room; but was obliged to lean against the furniture, being still -rather lame. However that would soon come right again, she thought. -At the same time, she had been quite right in refusing an invitation -to dine at uncle Baudu's that evening, and in asking her aunt to take -Pépé out for a walk, for she had placed him with Madame Gras again. -Jean, who had been to see her on the previous day, was also to dine at -his uncle's. She was still slowly trying to walk, resolving, however, -to go to bed early, in order to rest her ankle, when Madame Cabin, the -housekeeper, knocked and gave her a letter, with an air of mystery.</p> - -<p>The door closed. Denise, astonished by the woman's discreet smile, -opened the letter. And at once she dropped on a chair; for it was a -letter from Mouret, in which he expressed himself delighted at her -recovery, and begged her to come down and dine with him that evening, -since she could not go out. The tone of this note, at once familiar and -paternal, was in no way offensive; but it was impossible for her to -mistake its meaning. And thus her white cheeks slowly coloured with a -flush.</p> - -<p>With the letter lying on her lap and her heart beating violently she -remained with her eyes fixed on the blinding light which came in by -one of the windows. There was a confession which she had been obliged -to make to herself in this very room, during her sleepless hours: if -she still trembled when he passed, she now knew that it was not from -fear; and her former uneasiness, her old terror, could have been only -the frightened ignorance of love, the perturbation of passion springing -up amidst her youthful wildness. She did not reason, she simply felt -that she had always loved him, from the hour when she had shuddered -and stammered before him. She had loved him when she had feared him -as a pitiless master; she had loved him when her distracted heart was -dreaming of Hutin, unconsciously yielding to a desire for affection. -Yes, she had never loved any but this man, whose mere look terrified -her. And all her past life came back to her, unfolding itself in the -blinding light from the window: the hardships of her start, that sweet -walk under the dark foliage of the Tuileries Gardens, and, lastly, the -desires with which he had enveloped her ever since her return. The -letter dropped on the floor and Denise was still gazing at the window, -dazzled by the glare of the sun.</p> - -<p>Suddenly there was a knock and she hastened to pick up the missive and -conceal it in her pocket. It was Pauline, who, having slipped away from -her department under some pretext or other, had come up for a little -chat.</p> - -<p>"How are you, my dear? We never meet now——"</p> - -<p>As it was against the rules, however, to go up into the bed-rooms, and, -above all, for two of the saleswomen to be shut in together, Denise -took her friend to the end of the passage, to a saloon which Mouret -had gallantly fitted up for the young ladies, who could spend their -evenings there, chatting or sewing, till eleven o'clock. The apartment, -decorated in white and gold, with the vulgar nudity of an hotel room, -was furnished with a piano, a central table, and some arm-chairs and -sofas protected by white covers. After spending a few evenings together -there in the first novelty of the thing, the saleswomen now never -entered the place without coming to high words at once. They required -educating to it; so far their little circle lacked harmony. Meanwhile, -almost the only girl that went there in the evening was the second-hand -of the corset department, Miss Powell, who strummed away at Chopin on -the piano, and whose envied talents were for much in driving the others -away.</p> - -<p>"You see my ankle's better now," said Denise, "I was just going down."</p> - -<p>"Well!" exclaimed the other, "how zealous you are! I'd take it easy if -I had the chance!"</p> - -<p>They had both sat down on a sofa. Pauline's manner had changed since -her friend had become second-hand in the mantle department. With her -good-natured cordiality there mingled a touch of respect, a sort of -surprise at realizing that the puny little saleswoman of former days -was on the road to fortune. Denise, however, liked her very much, and -amidst the continual gallop of the two hundred women that the firm now -employed, confided in her alone.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter?" asked Pauline, quickly, when she remarked her -companion's troubled looks.</p> - -<p>"Oh! nothing," replied Denise, with an awkward smile.</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes; there's something the matter with you. Have you no faith in -me, that you have given up telling me your worries?"</p> - -<p>Thereupon Denise, in the emotion that was swelling her bosom—an -emotion she could not control—abandoned herself to her feelings. She -gave her friend the letter, stammering: "Look! he has just written to -me."</p> - -<p>Between themselves, they had never openly spoken of Mouret. But this -very silence was like a confession of their secret thoughts. Pauline -knew everything. After having read the letter, she clasped Denise in -her arms, and softly murmured: "My dear, to speak frankly, I thought -it had all happened long ago. Don't be shocked; I assure you the whole -shop must think as I do. You see, he appointed you as second-hand so -quickly, and then he's always looking at you. It's obvious!" She kissed -her affectionately on the cheek and then asked her: "You will go this -evening, of course?"</p> - -<p>Denise looked at her without replying and all at once burst into tears, -letting her head fall on Pauline's shoulder. The latter was quite -astonished. "Come, try and calm yourself; there's nothing to upset you -like this," she said.</p> - -<p>"No, no; let me be," stammered Denise. "If you only knew what trouble I -am in! Since I received that letter, I have felt beside myself. Let me -have a good cry, that will relieve me."</p> - -<p>Full of pity, though not understanding, Pauline endeavoured to console -her, declaring that she must not worry, for it was quite certain that -M. Mouret had ceased to pay any attention to Clara; whilst as for that -other lady friend of his, Madame Desforges, it was probably all but so -much gossip. Denise listened, and had she been ignorant of her love, -she could no longer have doubted it after the suffering she felt at the -allusions to those two women. She could again hear Clara's disagreeable -voice, and see Madame Desforges dragging her about the different -departments with all the scorn of a rich lady for a poor shop-girl.</p> - -<p>Then the two friends went on conversing; and at last Denise in a sudden -impulse exclaimed: "But when a man loves a girl he ought to marry her. -Baugé is going to marry you."</p> - -<p>This was true, Baugé, who had left the Bon Marché for The Ladies' -Paradise, was going to marry her about the middle of the month. -Bourdoncle did not like these married couples; however, they had -managed to get the necessary permission, and even hoped to obtain a -fortnight's holiday for their honeymoon.</p> - -<p>On hearing Denise's remark Pauline laughed heartily. "But, my dear," -said she. "Baugé is going to marry me because he is Baugé. He's my -equal, that's natural. Whereas Monsieur Mouret! Do you think that -Monsieur Mouret could marry one of his saleswomen?"</p> - -<p>"Oh! no, oh! no," exclaimed Denise, shocked by the absurdity of the -question, "and that's why he ought never to have written to me."</p> - -<p>This argument seemed to astonish Pauline. Her coarse face, with small -tender eyes, assumed quite an expression of maternal pity. Then she -got up, opened the piano, and with one finger softly played the air of -"King Dagobert," doubtless to enliven the situation. The noises of the -street, the distant melopœia of a woman crying out green peas, ascended -to the bare saloon, whose emptiness seemed increased by the white -coverings of the furniture. Denise had thrown herself back on the sofa, -her head against the woodwork and shaken by a fresh flood of sobs, -which she stifled in her handkerchief.</p> - -<p>"Again!" resumed Pauline, turning round. "Really you are not -reasonable. Why did you bring me here? We ought to have stopped in your -room."</p> - -<p>She knelt down before her, and had begun lecturing her again, when a -sound of footsteps was heard in the passage. And thereupon she ran to -the door and looked out.</p> - -<p>"Hush! Madame Aurélie!" she murmured. "I'm off, and just you dry your -eyes. She need not know what's up."</p> - -<p>When Denise was alone, she rose, and forced back her tears; and, her -hands still trembling, fearful of being caught there weeping, she -closed the piano, which her friend had left open. However, on hearing -Madame Aurélie knocking at her door, she at once left the drawing-room.</p> - -<p>"What! you are up!" exclaimed the first-hand. "It's very thoughtless of -you, my dear child. I just came up to see how you were, and to tell you -that we did not require you downstairs."</p> - -<p>Denise assured her, however, that she felt much better and that it -would do her good to have some occupation.</p> - -<p>"I shan't tire myself, madame. You can put me on a chair, and I'll do -some writing."</p> - -<p>Both then went downstairs. Madame Aurélie, most attentive, insisted on -Denise leaning on her shoulder. She must have noticed the young girl's -red eyes, for she was stealthily examining her. No doubt she was aware -of much that was going on.</p> - -<p>Denise had gained an unexpected victory: she had at last conquered the -department. Formerly she had struggled on for six months, amidst all -the torments of drudgery, without disarming her comrades' ill-will, but -now in a few weeks she had overcome them, and saw them submissive and -respectful around her. Madame Aurélie's sudden affection had greatly -assisted her in this ungrateful task of propitiating her companions. -Indeed the first-hand had taken the young girl under her protection -with such warmth that the latter must have been recommended to her -in a very special manner. However, Denise had also brought her own -charm into play in order to disarm her enemies. The task was all the -more difficult from the fact that she had to obtain their forgiveness -for her appointment to the situation of second-hand. The other young -ladies spoke of this at first as an injustice, and even added a lot -of abominable accusations. But in spite of their revolt, the title of -second-hand influenced them, and Denise with her promotion assumed -a certain air of authority which astonished and overawed even the -most hostile spirits. Soon afterwards she actually found flatterers -amongst the new hands; and her sweetness and modesty completed the -conquest. Marguerite came over to her side; and Clara was the only -one to continue her ill-natured ways, still venturing to allude to -Denise as the "unkempt one," an insult in which nobody now saw any fun. -During the short time that she had engaged Mouret's attention Clara had -profited by the caprice to neglect her work, being of a wonderfully -idle, gossiping nature unfitted for any responsible duty. Nevertheless -she considered that Denise had robbed her of Madame Frédéric's place. -She would never have accepted it, on account of the worry; but she was -vexed that no attention had been paid to her claims.</p> - -<p>Nine o'clock struck as Denise came down, leaning on Madame Aurélie's -arm. Out of doors an ardent blue sky was warming the streets, cabs -were rolling towards the railway stations, the whole population of -Paris rigged out in Sunday attire was streaming towards the suburban -woods. Inside the Paradise, which the large open bays flooded with -sunshine, the imprisoned staff had just commenced stock-taking. They -had closed the doors and people halted on the pavement, looking through -the windows in astonishment that the shop should be shut when such -extraordinary activity prevailed inside. From one end of the galleries -to the other, from the top to the bottom floor, there was a continual -tramping of employees; arms were ever being raised and parcels were -flying about above their heads; and all this amidst a tempest of shouts -and calling out of figures, ascending in confusion and becoming a -deafening roar. Each of the thirty-nine departments did its work apart, -without troubling about its neighbour. At this early hour the shelves -had hardly been touched, there were only a few bales of goods on the -floors. They must get up a good deal more steam if they were to finish -that evening.</p> - -<p>"Why have you come down?" asked Marguerite of Denise, good-naturedly. -"You'll only make yourself worse, and we are quite numerous enough to -do the work."</p> - -<p>"That's what I told her," declared Madame Aurélie, "but she insisted on -coming down to help us."</p> - -<p>All the young ladies flocked round Denise. The work was even -interrupted for a time. They complimented her, listening with all sorts -of exclamations to the story of her sprained ankle. At last Madame -Aurélie made her sit down at a table; and it was understood that she -should merely write down the articles as they were called out. On such -a day as this they requisitioned all the employees who were capable -of holding a pen: the inspectors, the cashiers, the clerks, even the -shop messengers; and each department annexed some of these assistants -of a day in order to get the work over more quickly. It was thus that -Denise found herself installed near Lhomme the cashier and Joseph the -messenger, both of whom were bending over large sheets of paper.</p> - -<p>"Five mantles, cloth, fur trimming, third size, at two hundred and -forty francs!" called Marguerite. "Four ditto, first size, at two -hundred and twenty!"</p> - -<p>The work once more commenced. Behind Marguerite three saleswomen were -emptying the cupboards, classifying the articles, and giving them to -her in bundles; and, when she had called them out, she threw them on -the table, where they were gradually accumulating in huge piles. Lhomme -jotted down the articles whilst Joseph checked him by keeping another -list. Whilst this was going on, Madame Aurélie herself, assisted by -three other saleswomen, was counting out the silk garments, which -Denise entered on the sheets of paper given to her. Clara on her side -was looking after the heaps, arranging them in such a manner that they -should occupy the least possible space on the tables. But she was -not paying much attention to her work, for many things were already -tumbling down.</p> - -<p>"I say," she asked of a little saleswoman who had joined that winter, -"are they going to give you a rise? You know that the second-hand is to -have two thousand francs, which, with her commission, will bring her in -nearly seven thousand."</p> - -<p>The little saleswoman, without ceasing to pass some cloaks down, -replied that if they didn't give her eight hundred francs she would -take her hook. The rises were always given on the day after the -stock-taking; it was also then, as the amount of business done during -the year became known, that the managers of the departments drew their -commission on the increase of this amount, as compared with that of the -preceding year. Thus, despite the bustle and uproar of the work, the -impassioned gossiping went on everywhere. Between every two articles -that were called out, they talked of nothing but money. The rumour ran -that Madame Aurélie's gains would exceed twenty-five thousand francs; -and this huge sum greatly excited the young ladies. Marguerite, the -best saleswoman after Denise, had for her part made four thousand five -hundred francs, that is fifteen hundred francs salary and about three -thousand francs commission; whilst Clara had not made two thousand five -hundred altogether.</p> - -<p>"I don't care a button for their rises!" she resumed, still talking to -the little saleswoman. "If papa were dead I would jolly soon clear out -of this! Still it exasperates me to see seven thousand francs given to -that strip of a girl! What do you say?"</p> - -<p>Madame Aurélie, turning round with her imperial air, violently -interrupted the conversation. "Be quiet, young ladies! We can't hear -ourselves speak, my word of honour!"</p> - -<p>Then she again went on calling out: "Seven mantles, old style, -Sicilian, first size, at a hundred and thirty! Three pelisses, -surah, second size, at a hundred and fifty! Have you got that down, -Mademoiselle Baudu?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, madame."</p> - -<p>Clara then had to look after the armfuls of garments piled upon the -tables. She pushed them about, and made some more room. But she soon -left them again to reply to a salesman, who was looking for her. -It was the glover, Mignot, who had escaped from his department. He -whispered a request for twenty francs; he already owed her thirty, -a loan effected on the day after some races when he had lost his -week's money on a horse; this time he had squandered his commission, -drawn overnight, and had not ten sous left him for his Sunday. Clara -had only ten francs about her, and she lent them with a fairly good -grace. And they then went on talking of a party of six, which they had -formed part of, at a restaurant at Bougival, where the women had paid -their shares. It was much better to do that, they all felt more at -ease. Next, Mignot, who wanted his twenty francs, went and bent over -Lhomme's shoulder. The latter, stopped in his writing, appeared greatly -troubled. However, he dared not refuse, and was looking for a ten-franc -piece in his purse, when Madame Aurélie, astonished at not hearing the -voice of Marguerite who had been obliged to pause, perceived Mignot, -and understood everything. She roughly sent him back to his department, -saying that she didn't want any one to come and distract her young -ladies' attention from their work. The truth was, she dreaded this -young man, a bosom friend of Albert's, and his accomplice in all sorts -of questionable pranks which she feared would some day turn out badly. -Accordingly, when Mignot had got his ten francs, and run away, she -could not help saying to her husband: "Is it possible! to let a fellow -like that get over you!"</p> - -<p>"But, my dear, I really couldn't refuse the young man."</p> - -<p>She closed his mouth with a shrug of her substantial shoulders. Then, -as the saleswomen were slyly grinning at this family explanation, she -resumed severely: "Now, Mademoiselle Vadon, don't let us go to sleep."</p> - -<p>"Twenty cloaks, cashmere extra, fourth size, at eighteen francs and a -half," resumed Marguerite in her sing-song voice.</p> - -<p>Lhomme, with his head bowed down, again began writing. They had -gradually raised his salary to nine thousand francs a year; but he was -very humble before Madame Aurélie, who still brought nearly three times -as much into the family.</p> - -<p>For a while the work was pushed forward. Figures were bandied -about, garments rained thick and fast on the tables. But Clara had -invented another amusement: she was teasing the messenger, Joseph, -about a passion which he was said to nourish for a young lady in the -pattern-room. This young lady, already twenty-eight years old, and -thin and pale, was a <i>protégée</i> of Madame Desforges, who had wanted -Mouret to engage her as a saleswoman, backing up her recommendation -with a touching story: An orphan, the last of the Fontenailles, an -old and noble family of Poitou, had been thrown on to the streets -of Paris with a drunken father; still she had remained virtuous -amidst this misfortune which was the greater as her education -was altogether too limited to enable her to secure employment as -governess or music-mistress. Mouret generally got angry when any one -recommended these broken-down gentlewomen to him; there were no more -incapable, more insupportable, more narrow-minded creatures than -these gentlewomen, said he; and, besides, a saleswoman could not be -improvised, she must serve an apprenticeship, it was an intricate and -delicate business. However, he took Madame Desforges's <i>protégée</i> -placing her in the pattern-room, in the same way as (to oblige friends) -he had already found places for two countesses and a baroness in the -advertising department, where they addressed wrappers and envelopes. -Mademoiselle de Fontenailles earned three francs a day, which just -enabled her to live in her modest room, in the Rue d'Argenteuil. It was -on seeing her with her sad look and shabby attire, that Joseph's heart, -very tender despite his rough soldierly manner, had been touched. He -did not confess, but blushed, when the young ladies of the mantle -department chaffed him; for the pattern-room was not far off, and they -had often observed him prowling about the doorway.</p> - -<p>"Joseph is somewhat absent-minded," murmured Clara. "His nose is always -turning towards the under-linen department."</p> - -<p>They had requisitioned Mademoiselle de Fontenailles there, and she -was assisting at the trousseau counter. As the messenger continually -glanced in that direction, the saleswomen began to laugh; whereupon he -became very confused, and plunged into his accounts, whilst Marguerite, -in order to arrest the burst of gaiety which was tickling her throat, -cried out louder still: "Fourteen jackets, English cloth, second size, -at fifteen francs!"</p> - -<p>At this, Madame Aurélie, who was calling out some cloaks, could not -make herself heard. She interfered with a wounded air, and a majestic -slowness of manner. "A little softer, mademoiselle. We are not in -a market. And you are all of you very unreasonable, to be amusing -yourselves with such childish matters, when our time is so precious."</p> - -<p>Just at that moment, as Clara was not paying any attention to the -packages, a catastrophe took place. Several mantles tumbled down, and -all the heaps on the tables, carried with them, toppled over one after -the other, so that the carpet was quite strewn with them.</p> - -<p>"There! what did I say!" cried the first-hand, beside herself. "Pray be -more careful, Mademoiselle Prunaire; it's altogether intolerable."</p> - -<p>But a hum ran along: Mouret and Bourdoncle, making their round of -inspection, had just appeared. The voices began calling again and -the pens sputtered, whilst Clara hastened to pick up the garments. -The governor did not interrupt the work. He stood there for several -minutes, mute and smiling, with the gay victorious face of stock-taking -days; and it was only on his lips that a slight feverish quiver -could be detected. When he perceived Denise, he nearly gave way to a -gesture of astonishment. She had come down, then? His eyes met Madame -Aurélie's. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he went away into the -under-linen department.</p> - -<p>However, Denise, warned by the slight noise, had raised her head. -And, having recognised Mouret, she had immediately bent over her work -again. Since she had been writing in this mechanical way, amidst the -calling-out of the goods, a peaceful feeling had stolen over her. She -had always yielded thus to the first outburst of her sensitiveness: -tears suffocated her, and passion increased her torments: but then -she regained her self-command, a grand, calm courage, a quiet but -inexorable strength of will. And now, with her limpid eyes, and pale -complexion, she was free from all agitation, entirely absorbed in her -work, resolved to silence her heart and to do nothing but her will.</p> - -<p>Ten o'clock struck, the uproar of the stock-taking was increasing; and -amidst the incessant shouts which rose and flew about on all sides the -same news circulated with surprising rapidity: every salesman knew -that Mouret had written that morning inviting Denise to dinner. The -indiscretion came from Pauline. On going downstairs, still greatly -excited, she had met Deloche in the lace department, and, without -noticing that Liénard was talking to the young man, had immediately -relieved her mind of the secret. "It's all over, my dear fellow. She's -just received a letter. He has invited her to dinner for this evening."</p> - -<p>Deloche turned very pale. He had understood, for he often questioned -Pauline; each day they spoke of their common friend, and Mouret's -passion for her. Moreover, she frequently scolded him for his secret -love for Denise, with whom he would never succeed, and shrugged her -shoulders when he expressed his approval of the girl's conduct with -reference to their employer.</p> - -<p>"Her foot's better, she's coming down," continued Pauline. "Pray don't -put on that funeral face. There's no reason to cry." And thereupon she -hastened back to her department.</p> - -<p>"Ah! good!" murmured Liénard, who had heard everything, "you're talking -about the young girl with the sprain. You were quite right to make -haste in defending her last night at the café!"</p> - -<p>Then he also ran off; but before he had returned to the woollen -department, he had already related the story to four or five fellows. -In less than ten minutes, it had gone the round of the whole shop.</p> - -<p>Liénard's last remark to Deloche referred to a scene which had occurred -on the previous evening, at the Café Saint-Roch. Deloche and he were -now constantly together. The former had taken Hutin's room at the Hôtel -de Smyrne, when that gentleman, on being appointed second-hand, had -hired a suite of three rooms; and the two salesmen came to The Ladies' -Paradise together in the morning, and waited for each other in the -evening in order to go away together. Their rooms, which adjoined one -another, overlooked a black yard, a narrow well, the stench from which -pervaded the hotel. They got on very well together, notwithstanding -their difference of character, the one carelessly squandering the money -which he drew from his father, and the other penniless, perpetually -tormented by ideas of thrift; both having, however, one point in -common, their unskilfulness as salesmen, which kept them vegetating at -their counters, without any increase of salary. After leaving the shop, -they spent the greater part of their time at the Café Saint-Roch. Void -of customers during the day, this café filled at about half-past eight -with an overflowing crowd of employees, the stream of shopmen which -rolled into the street from the great doorway in the Place Gaillon. -Then a deafening uproar of dominoes, laughter and yelping voices burst -forth amidst dense tobacco smoke. Beer and coffee were in great demand. -Seated in the left-hand corner, Liénard would order the most expensive -beverages, whilst Deloche contented himself with a glass of beer, which -he would take four hours to drink. It was here that the latter had -heard Favier relating, at a neighbouring table, some abominable things -about the way in which Denise had "hooked" the governor. He had with -difficulty restrained himself from striking him. However, as the other -went on adding still viler and viler stories of the girl, he had at -last called him a liar, feeling mad with rage.</p> - -<p>"What a blackguard!" he had shouted. "It's a lie, it's a lie, I tell -you!" And in the emotion agitating him, he had added a confession, -entirely opening his heart in a stammering voice. "I know her, and it -isn't true. She has never had any affection except for one man; yes, -for Monsieur Hutin, and even he has never noticed it!"</p> - -<p>The report of this quarrel, exaggerated and distorted, was already -affording amusement to the whole shop when the story of Mouret's letter -ran round. In fact, it was to a salesman in the silk department that -Liénard first confided the news. With the silk-vendors the stock-taking -was going on rapidly. Favier and two shopmen, mounted on stools, were -emptying the shelves and passing the pieces of stuff to Hutin who, -standing on a table, called out the figures, after consulting the -tickets; and he then dropped the pieces on to the floor over which -they spread, rising slowly like an autumn tide. Other employees were -writing, Albert Lhomme being among the helpers, his face pale and heavy -after a night spent in a low show at La Chapelle. A sheet of light -fell from the glazed roof of the hall, through which could be seen the -intense blue of the sky.</p> - -<p>"Draw those blinds!" cried out Bouthemont who was very busy -superintending the work. "That sun is unbearable!"</p> - -<p>Favier, on tiptoe, trying to reach a piece of silk, then grumbled under -his breath: "A nice thing to shut people up on a lovely day like this! -No fear of it raining on stock-taking day! And they keep us under lock -and key, like convicts, when all Paris is out of doors!"</p> - -<p>He passed the silk to Hutin. On the ticket was the measurement, -diminished at each sale by the quantity sold; which greatly simplified -the work. The second-hand cried out: "Fancy silk, small check, -twenty-one yards, at six francs and a half."</p> - -<p>And then the piece went to increase the heap already on the floor. -Whilst waiting for another he resumed a conversation previously begun, -by saying to Favier: "So he wanted to fight you?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I was quietly drinking my glass of beer. It was hardly worth his -while to contradict me, for she has just received a letter from the -governor inviting her to dinner. The whole shop is talking about it."</p> - -<p>"What! hadn't she dined with him before!"</p> - -<p>Favier handed him another piece of silk.</p> - -<p>"No, it seems not; though my opinion was all the other way."</p> - -<p>The whole department was now joking about the affair, without, however, -allowing the work to suffer. The young girl's name passed from mouth -to mouth and the salesmen arched their backs and winked. Bouthemont -himself, who took a rare delight in all such stories, could not help -adding his joke. Just then, however, Mignot came down, with the twenty -francs which he had just borrowed, and he stopped to slip ten francs -into Albert's hand, making an appointment with him for the evening: -a projected spree, hampered by lack of money, but still possible, -notwithstanding the smallness of the sum secured. However, when Mignot -heard about the famous letter, he made such an abominable remark, that -Bouthemont was obliged to interfere. "That's enough, gentlemen. It -isn't any of our business. Go on, Monsieur Hutin."</p> - -<p>"Fancy silk, small check, thirty-two yards, at six francs and a half," -cried out the latter.</p> - -<p>The pens started off again, the pieces fell; the flood of material -still increased, as if the water of a river had emptied itself there. -And there was no end to the calling out of the fancy silks. Favier, -in an undertone thereupon remarked that the stock in hand would form -a nice total; the governors would be enchanted; that big fool of a -Bouthemont might be the best buyer in Paris, but as a salesman he was -not worth his salt. Hutin smiled, delighted, and giving the other -a friendly look of approval; for after having himself introduced -Bouthemont to The Ladies' Paradise, in order to get rid of Robineau, he -was now undermining him also, with the firm intention of depriving him -of his berth. It was the same war as formerly—treacherous insinuations -whispered in the partners' ears, excessive zeal to push one's self -forward, a regular campaign carried on with affable cunning. Hutin was -again displaying some condescension towards Favier, but the latter, -thin and frigid with a bilious look, gave him a sly glance as if to -count how many mouthfuls this short, little fellow would make, and -to imply that he was waiting till he had swallowed up Bouthemont, in -order to eat him afterwards. He, Favier, hoped to get the second-hand's -place, should his friend be appointed manager. And after that they -would see. Consumed by the fever which was raging from one to the other -end of the shop, both of them began talking of the probable increases -of salary, without however ceasing to call out the stock of fancy -silks; they felt sure that Bouthemont would secure thirty thousand -francs that year; Hutin for his part would exceed ten thousand whilst -Favier estimated his pay and commission at five thousand five hundred. -The amount of business in the department was increasing yearly, the -salesmen secured promotion and increase of pay, like officers in time -of war.</p> - -<p>"Won't those fancy silks soon be finished?" asked Bouthemont suddenly, -with an expression of annoyance. "But it was a miserable spring, always -raining! People bought nothing but black silks."</p> - -<p>His fat, jovial face became cloudy as he gazed at the growing heap -on the floor, whilst Hutin called out louder still, in a sonorous -voice tinged with an accent of triumph—"Fancy silks, small check, -twenty-eight yards, at six francs and a half."</p> - -<p>There was still another shelf-full. Favier whose arms were getting -tired, was now progressing but slowly. As he handed Hutin the last -pieces he resumed in a low tone—"Oh! I say, I forgot. Have you heard -that the second-hand in the mantle department once had a regular fancy -for you?"</p> - -<p>Hutin seemed greatly surprised. "What! How do you mean?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, that great booby Deloche let it out to us. But I remember her -casting sheep's eyes at you some time back."</p> - -<p>Since his appointment as second-hand Hutin had thrown up his music-hall -singers. Flattered at heart by Favier's words he nevertheless replied -with a scornful air, "I don't care for such scraggy creatures." And -then he called out:</p> - -<p>"White Poult, thirty-five yards, at eight francs seventy-five."</p> - -<p>"Oh! at last!" murmured Bouthemont, greatly relieved.</p> - -<p>But a bell rang, that for the second table, to which Favier belonged. -He jumped off the stool where another salesman took his place, and -he was obliged to climb over the mountain of materials with which -the floor was littered. Similar heaps were scattered about in every -department; the shelves, the boxes, the cupboards were being gradually -emptied, whilst the goods overflowed on all sides, under-foot, between -the counters and the tables, in ever rising piles. In the linen -department you heard heavy bales of calico falling; in the mercery -department there was a clicking of boxes; whilst distant rumbling -sounds came from amongst the furniture. Every sort of voice was heard -too, shrill, full, deep, and husky, figures whizzed through the air and -a rustling clamour reigned in the immense nave—the clamour of forests -in January when the wind whistles through the branches.</p> - -<p>Favier at last got clear and went up the dining-room staircase. Since -the enlargement of The Ladies' Paradise the refectories had been -shifted to the fourth storey of the new buildings. As he hurried up he -overtook Deloche and Liénard who had gone on before him, so he fell -back on Mignot who was following at his heels.</p> - -<p>"The deuce!" said he, in the corridor leading to the kitchen, on -reaching the black-board on which the bill of fare was inscribed, "you -can see it's stock-taking day. A regular feast! Chicken, or leg of -mutton, and artichokes! Their mutton won't be much of a success!"</p> - -<p>Mignot sniggered, murmuring, "Is there a poultry epidemic on, then?"</p> - -<p>However, Deloche and Liénard had taken their portions and gone away. -Favier thereupon leant over the wicket and called out—"Chicken!"</p> - -<p>But he had to wait; one of the kitchen helps had cut his finger in -carving, and this caused some confusion. Favier stood there with -his face to the opening, gazing into the kitchen with its giant -appliances. There was a central range, over which, by a system of -chains and pullies, a couple of rails fixed to the ceiling brought -colossal cauldrons which four men could not have lifted. Several -cooks, quite white in the ruddy glow of the cast-iron, were attending -to the evening soup mounted on metal ladders and armed with skimmers -fixed to long handles. Then against the wall were grills large enough -for the roasting of martyrs, saucepans big enough for the stewing of -entire sheep, a monumental plate-warmer, and a marble basin filled by -a continual stream of water. To the left could be seen a scullery with -stone sinks as large as ponds; whilst on the other side, to the right, -was a huge meat-safe, where a glimpse was caught of numerous joints of -red meat hanging from steel hooks. A machine for peeling potatoes was -working with the tic-tac of a mill; and two small trucks laden with -freshly-picked salad were being wheeled by some kitchen helps into a -cool spot under a gigantic filter.</p> - -<p>"Chicken," repeated Favier, getting impatient. Then, turning round, he -added in a lower tone, "One fellow has cut himself. It's disgusting, -his blood's running over the food."</p> - -<p>Mignot wanted to see. Quite a string of shopmen had now arrived; there -was a deal of laughing and pushing. The two young men, their heads at -the wicket, exchanged remarks about this phalansterian kitchen, in -which the least important utensils, even the spits and larding pins, -assumed gigantic proportions. Two thousand luncheons and two thousand -dinners had to be served, and the number of employees was increasing -every week. It was quite an abyss, into which something like forty-five -bushels of potatoes, one hundred and twenty pounds of butter, and -sixteen hundred pounds of meat were cast every day; and at each meal -they had to broach three casks of wine, over a hundred and fifty -gallons being served out at the wine counter.</p> - -<p>"Ah! at last!" murmured Favier when the cook reappeared with a large -pan, out of which he handed him the leg of a fowl.</p> - -<p>"Chicken," said Mignot behind him.</p> - -<p>And with their plates in their hands they both entered the refectory, -after taking their wine at the "bar;" whilst behind them the word -"Chicken" was repeated without cessation, and one could hear the cook -picking up the portions with his fork with a rapid rhythmical sound.</p> - -<p>The men's dining-room was now an immense apartment, supplying ample -room for five hundred people at each repast. The places were laid at -long mahogany tables, placed parallel across the room, and at either -end were similar tables reserved for the managers of departments and -the inspectors; whilst in the centre was a counter for the "extras." -Right and left large windows admitted a white light to the gallery, -whose ceiling, although over twelve feet from the floor, seemed very -low, owing to the development of the other proportions. The sole -ornaments on the walls, painted a light yellow, were the napkin -cupboards. Beyond this first refectory came that of the messengers and -carmen, where the meals were served irregularly, according to the needs -of the moment.</p> - -<p>"What! you've got a leg as well, Mignot?" said Favier, as he took his -place at one of the tables opposite his companion.</p> - -<p>Other young men now sat down around them. There was no tablecloth, the -plates clattered on the bare mahogany, and in this particular corner -everybody was raising exclamations, for the number of legs distributed -was really prodigious.</p> - -<p>"These chickens are all legs!" remarked Mignot.</p> - -<p>"Yes, they're real centipedes," retorted another salesman.</p> - -<p>Those who had merely secured pieces of carcase were greatly -discontented. However, the food had been of much better quality since -the late improvements. Mouret no longer treated with a contractor at -a fixed rate; he had taken the kitchen into his own hands, organizing -it like one of the departments, with a head-cook, under-cooks and an -inspector; and if he spent more money he got on the other hand more -work out of the staff—a practical humanitarian calculation which had -long terrified Bourdoncle.</p> - -<p>"Mine is pretty tender, all the same," said Mignot. "Pass the bread!"</p> - -<p>The big loaf was sent round, and after cutting a slice for himself -he dug the knife into the crust. A few dilatory ones now hurried in, -taking their places; a ferocious appetite, increased by the morning's -work, burst forth from one to the other end of the immense tables. -There was an increasing clatter of forks, a gurgling sound of bottles -being emptied, a noise of glasses laid down too violently amidst the -grinding rumble of five hundred pairs of powerful jaws chewing with -wondrous energy. And the talk, still infrequent, seemed to be hampered -by the fullness of the mouths.</p> - -<p>Deloche, however, seated between Baugé and Liénard, found himself -nearly opposite Favier. They had glanced at each other with a rancorous -look. Some neighbours, aware of their quarrel on the previous day, -began whispering together. Then there was a laugh at poor Deloche's -ill-luck. Although always famished he invariably fell on the worst -piece at table, by a sort of cruel fatality. This time he had come in -for the neck of a chicken and some bits of carcase. Without saying -a word, however, he let them joke away, swallowing large mouthfuls -of bread, and picking the neck with the infinite art of a fellow who -entertains great respect for meat.</p> - -<p>"Why don't you complain?" asked Baugé.</p> - -<p>But he shrugged his shoulders. What would be the use of that? It was -always the same. When he did venture to complain things went worse than -ever.</p> - -<p>"You know the Bobbinards have got their club now?" said Mignot, all at -once. "Yes, my boy, the 'Bobbin Club.' It's held at a wine shop in the -Rue Saint-Honoré, where they hire a room on Saturdays."</p> - -<p>He was speaking of the mercery salesmen. The whole table began to joke. -Between two mouthfuls, with his voice still thick, each made some -remark, adding a detail; and only the obstinate readers remained mute, -with their noses buried in their newspapers. It could not be denied -that shopmen were gradually assuming a better style; nearly half of -them now spoke English or German. It was no longer considered good form -to go and kick up a row at Bullier or prowl about the music-halls for -the pleasure of hissing ugly singers. No; a score of them got together -and formed a club.</p> - -<p>"Have they a piano like the linen-men?" asked Liénard.</p> - -<p>"I should rather think they had!" exclaimed Mignot. "And they play, my -boy, and sing! There's even one of them, little Bavoux, who recites -verses."</p> - -<p>The gaiety redoubled and they chaffed little Bavoux; nevertheless -beneath their laughter lay a great respect. Then they spoke of a piece -at the Vaudeville, in which a counter-jumper played a nasty part, -which annoyed several of them, whilst others began anxiously wondering -at what time they would get away that evening, having invitations to -pass the evening at friends' houses. And from all points came similar -conversations amidst an increasing rattle of crockery. To drive -away the odour of the food—the warm steam which rose from the five -hundred plates—they had opened the windows, whose lowered blinds -were scorching in the heavy August sun. Burning gusts came in from -the street, golden reflections yellowed the ceiling, steeping the -perspiring eaters in a reddish light.</p> - -<p>"A nice thing to shut people up on such a fine Sunday as this!" -repeated Favier.</p> - -<p>This remark brought them back to the stock-taking. It had been -a splendid year. And they went on to speak of the salaries—the -rises—the eternal subject, the stirring question which occupied -them all. It was always thus on chicken days; a wonderful excitement -declared itself, the noise at last became unbearable. When the waiters -brought the artichokes you could not hear yourself speak. However, the -inspector on duty had orders to be indulgent.</p> - -<p>"By the way," cried Favier, "you've heard the news?"</p> - -<p>But his voice was drowned by Mignot asking: "Who doesn't like -artichoke; I'll sell my dessert for an artichoke."</p> - -<p>No one replied. Everybody liked artichoke. That lunch would be counted -amongst the good ones, for peaches were to be given for dessert.</p> - -<p>"He has invited her to dinner, my dear fellow," said Favier to his -right-hand neighbour, finishing his story. "What! you didn't know it?"</p> - -<p>The whole table knew it, they were tired of talking about it since -early morning. And the same poor jokes passed from mouth to mouth. -Deloche was quivering again, and his eyes at last rested on Favier, -who was persisting in his shameful remarks. But all at once the silk -salesman ducked his head, for Deloche, yielding to an irresistible -impulse, had thrown his last glass of wine into his face, stammering: -"Take that, you infernal liar! I ought to have drenched you yesterday!"</p> - -<p>This caused quite a scandal. A few drops had spurted on Favier's -neighbours, whilst he himself only had his hair slightly wetted: the -wine, thrown by an awkward hand, had fallen on the other side of the -table. However, the others got angry, asking Deloche if the girl was -his property that he defended her in this way? What a brute he was! -he deserved a good drubbing to teach him better manners. However, -their voices fell, for an inspector was observed coming along, and it -was useless to let the management interfere in the quarrel. Favier -contented himself with saying: "If it had caught me, you would have -seen some sport!"</p> - -<p>Then the affair wound up in jeers. When Deloche, still trembling, -wished to drink by way of hiding his confusion, and mechanically caught -hold of his empty glass, they all burst out laughing. He laid his glass -down again awkwardly enough and commenced sucking the leaves of the -artichoke which he had already eaten.</p> - -<p>"Pass Deloche the water bottle," said Mignot, quietly; "he's thirsty."</p> - -<p>The laughter increased. The young men took clean plates from the piles -standing at equal distances on the table whilst the waiters handed -round the dessert, which consisted of peaches, in baskets. And they -all held their sides when Mignot added, with a grin: "Each man to his -taste. Deloche takes wine with his peaches."</p> - -<p>Deloche, however, sat motionless, with his head hanging down, as if -deaf to the joking going on around him: he was full of despairing -regret at thought of what he had just done. Those fellows were -right—what right had he to defend her? They would now think all sorts -of villainous things: he could have killed himself for having thus -compromised her, in attempting to prove her innocence. Such was always -his luck, he might just as well kill himself at once, for he could not -even yield to the promptings of his heart without doing some stupid -thing. And then tears came into his eyes. Was it not also his fault -if the whole shop was talking of the letter written by the governor? -He heard them grinning and making abominable remarks about this -invitation, which Liénard alone had been informed of, and he reproached -himself, he ought never to have let Pauline speak before that fellow; -he was really responsible for the annoying indiscretion which had been -committed.</p> - -<p>"Why did you go and relate that?" he murmured at last in a sorrowful -voice. "It's very wrong."</p> - -<p>"I?" replied Liénard; "but I only told it to one or two persons, -enjoining secrecy. One never knows how these things get about!"</p> - -<p>When Deloche made up his mind to drink a glass of water everybody burst -out laughing again. They had finished their meal and were lolling back -on their chairs waiting for the bell to recall them to work. They had -not asked for many extras at the great central counter, especially as -on stock-taking day the firm treated them to coffee. The cups were -steaming, perspiring faces shone under the light vapour, floating -like bluey clouds from cigarettes. At the windows the blinds hung -motionless, without the slightest flapping. One of them, on being drawn -up, admitted a ray of sunshine which sped across the room and gilded -the ceiling. The uproar of the voices beat upon the walls with such -force that the bell was at first only heard by those at the tables -near the door. Then they got up and for some time the corridors were -full of the confusion of the departure. Deloche, however, remained -behind to escape the malicious remarks that were still being made. -Baugé even went out before him, and Baugé was, as a rule, the last to -leave, taking a circuitous route so as to meet Pauline on he way to the -ladies' dining-room; a manœuvre they had arranged between them—the -only chance they had of seeing one another for a minute during business -hours. That day, however, just as they were indulging in a loving kiss -in a corner of the passage they were surprised by Denise, who was also -going up to lunch. She was walking slowly on account of her foot.</p> - -<p>"Oh! my dear," stammered Pauline, very red, "don't say anything, will -you?"</p> - -<p>Baugé, with his big limbs and giant stature, was trembling like a -little boy. He muttered, "They'd precious soon pitch us out. Although -our marriage may be announced, they don't allow any kissing, the -brutes!"</p> - -<p>Denise, greatly agitated, affected not to have seen them: and Baugé -disappeared just as Deloche, also going the longest way round, in his -turn appeared. He wished to apologize, stammering out phrases that -Denise did not at first catch. Then, as he blamed Pauline for having -spoken before Liénard, and she stood there looking very embarrassed, -Denise at last understood the meaning of the whispers she had heard -around her all the morning. It was the story of the letter circulating. -And again was she shaken by the shiver with which this letter had -agitated her.</p> - -<p>"But I didn't know," repeated Pauline. "Besides, there's nothing bad in -the letter. Let them gossip; they're jealous, of course!"</p> - -<p>"My dear," said Denise at last, with her sensible air, "I don't blame -you in any way! You've spoken nothing but the truth. I <i>have</i> received -a letter, and it is my duty to answer it."</p> - -<p>Deloche went off heart-broken, in the belief that the girl accepted the -situation and would keep the appointment that evening. When the two -saleswomen had lunched in a small room, adjoining the larger one where -the women were served much more comfortably, Pauline had to assist -Denise downstairs again as her sprain was getting more painful.</p> - -<p>In the afternoon warmth below, the stock-taking was roaring more loudly -than ever. The moment for the supreme effort had arrived, when, as the -work had not made much progress during the morning, everybody put forth -their strength in order that all might be finished that night. The -voices grew louder still, you saw nothing but waving arms continually -emptying the shelves and throwing the goods down; and it was impossible -to get along for the tide of the bales and packages on the floor rose -as high as the counters. A sea of heads, brandished fists, and flying -limbs seemed to extend to the very depths of the departments, with -the confused aspect of a distant riot. It was the last fever of the -clearing, the machine seemed ready to burst; and past the plate-glass -windows all round the closed shop there still went a few pedestrians, -pale with the stifling boredom of a summer Sunday. On the pavement -in the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin three tall girls, bareheaded and -sluttish-looking, were impudently pressing their faces against the -windows, trying to see the curious work going on inside.</p> - -<p>When Denise returned to the mantle department Madame Aurélie told -Marguerite to finish calling out the garments. There was still the -checking to be done, and for this, being desirous of silence, she -retired into the pattern-room, taking Denise with her.</p> - -<p>"Come with me, we'll do the checking;" she said, "and then you can add -up the figures."</p> - -<p>However, as she wished to leave the door open, in order to keep an -eye on her young ladies, the noise came in, and they could not hear -themselves much better even in this pattern-room—a large, square -apartment furnished merely with some chairs and three long tables. In -one corner were the great machine knives, for cutting up the patterns. -Entire pieces of stuff were consumed; every year they sent away more -than sixty thousand francs' worth of material, cut up in strips. From -morning to night, the knives were cutting silk, wool, and linen, with -a scythe-like noise. Then, too, the books had to be got together, -gummed or sewn. And between the two windows, there was also a little -printing-press for the tickets.</p> - -<p>"Not so loud, please!" cried Madame Aurélie every now and again, quite -unable as she was to hear Denise reading out the articles.</p> - -<p>Then, the checking of the first lists being completed, she left the -young girl at one of the tables, absorbed in the adding-up; but came -back almost immediately, and placed Mademoiselle de Fontenailles -near her. The under-linen department not requiring Madame Desforges' -<i>protégée</i> any longer, had placed her at her disposal. She could also -do some adding-up, it would save time. But the appearance of the -marchioness, as Clara ill-naturedly called the poor creature, had -disturbed the department. They laughed and joked at poor Joseph, and -their ferocious sallies were wafted into the pattern-room.</p> - -<p>"Don't draw back, you are not at all in my way," said Denise, seized -with pity. "My inkstand will suffice, we'll dip together."</p> - -<p>Mademoiselle de Fontenailles, brutified by her unfortunate position, -could not even find a word of gratitude. She looked like a woman who -drank, her meagre face had a livid hue, and her hands alone, white and -delicate, attested the distinction of her birth.</p> - -<p>However, the laughter all at once ceased, and the work resumed its -regular roar. Mouret was once more going through the departments. But -he stopped and looked round for Denise, surprised at not seeing her -there. Then he made a sign to Madame Aurélie; and both drew aside, and -for a moment talked in a low tone. He must have been questioning her. -She nodded towards the pattern-room and then seemed to be making a -report. No doubt she was relating that the young girl had been weeping -that morning.</p> - -<p>"Very good!" said Mouret, aloud, coming nearer. "Show me the lists."</p> - -<p>"This way, sir," said the first-hand. "We have run away from the noise."</p> - -<p>He followed her into the next room. Clara was not duped by this -manœuvre, but Marguerite threw her the garments at a quicker rate, -in order to take up her attention and close her mouth. Wasn't the -second-hand a good comrade? Her affairs did not concern them. The -whole department was now aiding and abetting the intrigue, the young -ladies grew more agitated than ever, Lhomme and Joseph affected not -to see or hear anything. And inspector Jouve, who, in passing by, had -remarked Madame Aurélie's tactics, began walking up and down before the -pattern-room door, with the regular step of a sentry guarding the will -and pleasure of a superior.</p> - -<p>"Give Monsieur Mouret the lists," said the first-hand.</p> - -<p>Denise handed them over, and sat there with her eyes raised. She had -started slightly, but had promptly conquered herself, and retained a -fine calm look, although her cheeks were pale. For a moment, Mouret -appeared to be absorbed in the lists of articles, never giving the girl -a glance. A silence reigned, then Madame Aurélie all at once stepped up -to Mademoiselle de Fontenailles, who had not even turned her head, and, -apparently dissatisfied with her counting, said to her in an undertone:</p> - -<p>"Go and help with the parcels. You are not used to figures."</p> - -<p>Mademoiselle de Fontenailles got up, and returned to the department, -where she was greeted with whispering. Joseph, under the laughing eyes -of these young minxes, was writing anyhow. Clara though delighted to -have an assistant nevertheless treated her very roughly, hating her as -she hated all the women in the shop. What an idiotic thing to yield to -the love of a workman, when you were a marchioness! And yet she envied -the poor creature this love.</p> - -<p>"Very good!" repeated Mouret, still pretending to read.</p> - -<p>However, Madame Aurélie hardly knew how to get away in her turn in a -decent fashion. She turned about, went to look at the machine knives, -furious with her husband for not inventing a pretext for calling her. -But then he was never of any use in serious matters, he would have died -of thirst close to a pond. It was Marguerite who proved intelligent -enough to go and ask the first-hand a question.</p> - -<p>"I'm coming," replied the latter.</p> - -<p>And her dignity now being saved, having a pretext to join the young -ladies who were watching her, she at last left Denise and Mouret alone -together, coming out of the pattern-room with a majestic step and so -noble an air, that the saleswomen did not even dare to smile.</p> - -<p>Mouret had slowly laid the lists on the table, and stood looking at -Denise, who had remained seated, pen in hand. She did not avert her -gaze, but she had merely turned paler.</p> - -<p>"You will come this evening?" asked he.</p> - -<p>"No, sir, I cannot. My brothers are to be at my uncle's to-night, and I -have promised to dine with them."</p> - -<p>"But your foot! You walk with such difficulty."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I can get so far very well. I feel much better since the morning."</p> - -<p>In his turn he had turned pale on hearing this quiet refusal. A nervous -revolt made his lips quiver. However, he restrained himself, and with -the air of a good-natured master simply interesting himself in one of -his young ladies resumed: "Come now, if I begged of you—You know what -great esteem I have for you."</p> - -<p>Denise retained her respectful attitude. "I am deeply touched, sir, by -your kindness to me, and thank you for this invitation. But I repeat, I -cannot; my brothers expect me this evening."</p> - -<p>She persisted in not understanding. The door remained open, and she -felt that the whole shop was urging her on to ruin. Pauline had -amicably called her a great simpleton; the others would laugh at her -if she refused the invitation; Madame Aurélie, who had gone away, -Marguerite, whose rising voice she could hear, Lhomme, whom she could -espy, sitting motionless and discreet, all these people were wishing -for her fall. And the distant roar of the stock-taking, the millions of -goods enumerated on all sides and thrown about in every direction, were -like a warm breeze wafting the breath of passion towards her. There -was a silence. Now and again, Mouret's voice was drowned by the noisy -accompaniment, the formidable uproar of a kingly fortune gained in -battle.</p> - -<p>"When will you come, then?" he asked again. "To-morrow?"</p> - -<p>This simple question troubled Denise. She lost her calmness for a -moment, and stammered: "I don't know—I can't——"</p> - -<p>He smiled, and tried to take her hand, which she withheld. "What are -you afraid of?" he asked.</p> - -<p>But she quickly raised her head, looked him straight in the face, and -smiling, with her sweet, brave look replied: "I am afraid of nothing, -sir. I can do as I like, can I not? I don't wish to, that's all!"</p> - -<p>As she finished speaking, she was surprised to hear a creaking noise, -and on turning round saw the door slowly closing. It was inspector -Jouve, who had taken upon himself to pull it to. The doors were a part -of his duty, none ought ever to remain open. And he gravely resumed his -position as sentinel. No one appeared to have noticed that this door -was being closed in such a simple manner. Clara alone risked a strong -remark in the ear of Mademoiselle de Fontenailles, but the latter's -face remained expressionless.</p> - -<p>Denise, however, had risen. Mouret was saying to her in a low and -trembling voice: "Listen, Denise, I love you. You have long known it, -pray don't be so cruel as to play the ignorant. I love you, Denise!" -She was standing there very pale, listening to him and still looking -straight into his face. "Tell me," he went on. "Why do you refuse? Have -you no wants? Your brothers are a heavy burden. Anything you might ask -of me, anything you might require of me——"</p> - -<p>But with a word, she stopped him: "Thanks, I now earn more than I need."</p> - -<p>"But it's perfect liberty that I am offering you, an existence of -pleasure and luxury. I will set you up in a home of your own. I will -assure you a little fortune."</p> - -<p>"No, thanks; I should soon get tired of doing nothing. I earned my own -living before I was ten years old."</p> - -<p>He made a wild gesture. This was the first one who did not yield. With -the others he had merely had to stoop. His passion, long restrained, -goaded on by resistance, became stronger than ever, and he pressed her -more and more urgently.</p> - -<p>But without faltering she each time replied "No—no."</p> - -<p>Then at last he let this heart-cry escape him: "But don't you see that -I am suffering! Yes, it's stupid, but I am suffering like a child!"</p> - -<p>Tears came into his eyes. A fresh silence reigned. They could still -hear the softened roar of the stock-taking behind the closed door. It -was like a dying note of triumph, the accompaniment subsided into a -lower key in presence of this defeat of the master.</p> - -<p>"And yet if I liked——" he said in an ardent voice, seizing her hands.</p> - -<p>She left them in his, her eyes turned pale, her whole strength was -deserting her. A warmth came from this man's burning grasp, filling her -with a delicious cowardice. Good heavens! how she loved him, and with -what delight she could have hung on his neck and remained there!</p> - -<p>But in his passionate excitement he grew brutal. She set up a low -cry; the pain she felt at her wrists restored her courage. With an -angry shake she freed herself. Then, very stiff, looking taller in her -weakness: "No, leave me alone! I am not a Clara, to be thrown over in a -day. Besides, you love another; yes, that lady who comes here. I do not -accept half an affection!"</p> - -<p>He remained motionless with surprise. What was she saying, and what did -she want? The other girls had never asked to be loved. He ought to have -laughed at such an idea; yet this attitude of tender pride completely -conquered his heart.</p> - -<p>"Now, sir, please open the door," she resumed. "It is not proper that -we should be shut up together in this way."</p> - -<p>He obeyed; and with his temples throbbing, hardly knowing how to -conceal his anguish, he recalled Madame Aurélie, and broke out -angrily about the stock of cloaks, saying that the prices must be -lowered, until every one had been got rid of. Such was the rule of -the house—a clean sweep was made every year, they sold at sixty per -cent. loss rather than keep an old pattern or any stale material. -At that moment, Bourdoncle, seeking Mouret, was waiting for him -outside, having been stopped before the closed door by Jouve, who had -whispered a word in his ear with a grave air. He got very impatient, -without however, summoning up sufficient courage to interrupt the -governor's <i>tête-à-tête</i>. Was it possible? on such a day too, and with -that creature! And when Mouret at last came out Bourdoncle spoke to -him about the fancy silks, of which the stock left on hand would be -something enormous This was a relief for Mouret, as it gave him an -opportunity for shouting. What the devil was Bouthemont thinking about? -He went off declaring that he could not allow a buyer to display such -lack of sense as to buy beyond the requirements of the business.</p> - -<p>"What is the matter with him?" murmured Madame Aurélie, quite overcome -by his reproaches; while the young ladies looked at each other in -surprise.</p> - -<p>At six o'clock the stock-taking was finished. The sun was still -shining—a fair summer sun, whose golden reflections streamed through -the glazed roofs of the halls. In the heavy air of the streets, tired -families were already returning from the suburbs laden with bouquets -and dragging their children along. One by one, the departments had -become silent. In the depths of the galleries you now only heard the -lingering calls of a few men clearing a last shelf. Then even these -voices ceased, and of all the bustle of the day there only remained a -quivering vibration, above the formidable piles of goods. The shelves, -cupboards, boxes, and band-boxes, were now empty: not a yard of -stuff, not an object of any sort had remained in its place. The vast -establishment displayed but the carcase of its usual appearance, the -woodwork was absolutely bare, as on the day of taking possession. This -bareness was the visible proof of the complete, exact taking of the -stock. And on the floor was sixteen million francs' worth of goods, a -rising sea, which had finished by submerging the tables and counters. -However, the shopmen, surrounded to the shoulders, began to put each -article back into its place. They expected to finish by about ten -o'clock.</p> - -<p>When Madame Aurélie, who went to the first dinner, came back from the -dining-room, she announced the amount of business done during the year, -which the totals of the various departments had just enabled one to -arrive at. The figure was eighty million francs, ten millions more than -the previous year. The only real decrease had been on the fancy silks.</p> - -<p>"If Monsieur Mouret is not satisfied, I should like to know what more -he wants," added the first-hand. "See! he's fuming over there, at the -top of the grand staircase."</p> - -<p>The young ladies went to look at him. He was standing alone, with a -sombre countenance, above the millions scattered at his feet.</p> - -<p>"Madame," said Denise, at this moment, "would you kindly let me go away -now? I can't do anything more on account of my foot, and as I am to -dine at my uncle's with my brothers——"</p> - -<p>They were all astonished. She had not yielded, then! Madame Aurélie -hesitated, and speaking in a sharp and disagreeable voice, seemed -inclined to forbid her going out; whilst Clara shrugged her shoulders, -full of incredulity. When Pauline learnt the news, she was in the -baby-linen department with Deloche, and the sudden joy exhibited by the -young man made her very angry. As for Bourdoncle, who did not dare to -approach Mouret in his savage isolation, he marched up and down amidst -these rumours, in despair also, and full of anxiety. However, Denise -went down. As she slowly reached the bottom of the left-hand staircase, -leaning on the banister, she came upon a group of grinning salesmen. -Her name was pronounced, and she realized that they were talking about -her adventure. They had not noticed her descent.</p> - -<p>"Oh! all that's put on, you know," Favier was saying. "She's full of -vice! Yes, I know some one whom she set her eyes on."</p> - -<p>And thereupon he glanced at Hutin, who, in order to preserve his -dignity as second-hand, was standing a short distance away without -joining in their conversation. However, he was so flattered by the -envious air with which the others contemplated him, that he deigned to -murmur: "She was a regular nuisance to me, was that girl!"</p> - -<p>Denise, wounded to the heart, clung to the banister. They must have -seen her, for they all disappeared, laughing. He was right, she -thought, and she reproached herself for her former ignorance, when -she had been wont to think of him. But what a coward he was, and how -she scorned him now! A great trouble had come upon her; was it not -strange that she should have found the strength just now to repulse -a man whom she adored, when she had felt herself so feeble in bygone -days before that worthless fellow, whom she had only dreamed of? Her -sense of reason and her bravery foundered in these contradictions of -her being, which she could not clearly read. Then she hastened to cross -the hall but a sort of instinct prompted her to raise her head, whilst -an inspector was opening the door, closed since the morning. And still -at the top of the stairs, on the great central landing dominating the -gallery, she perceived Mouret. He had quite forgotten the stock-taking, -he no longer beheld his empire, that building bursting with riches. -Everything had disappeared, his former uproarious victories, his future -colossal fortune. With a desponding look he was watching Denise and -when she had crossed the threshold everything disappeared, a darkness -came over the house.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</a></h4> - - -<p>That day, Bouthemont was the first to arrive at Madame Desforges's four -o'clock tea. Waiting alone in her large Louis XVI. drawing-room, the -brasses and brocatel of which shone with a clear gaiety, she rose with -an air of impatience, saying, "Well?"</p> - -<p>"Well," replied the young man, "when I told him that I should no doubt -call on you he formally promised me to come."</p> - -<p>"You made him thoroughly understand that I expected the baron to-day?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly. That's what appeared to decide him."</p> - -<p>They were speaking of Mouret, who, the year before, had suddenly -taken such a liking to Bouthemont that he had admitted him to share -his pleasures; and had even introduced him to Henriette, glad to have -an agreeable fellow always at hand to enliven an acquaintanceship of -which he was getting tired. It was thus that Bouthemont had ultimately -become the confidant of his employer and the handsome widow; he did -their little errands, talked of the one to the other, and sometimes -reconciled them. Henriette, in her jealous fits, displayed a -familiarity which sometimes surprised and embarrassed him, for she was -losing the prudence of a woman of the world who employed all her art to -save appearances.</p> - -<p>"You ought to have brought him," she exclaimed violently. "I should -have been sure then."</p> - -<p>"Well," said he, with a good-natured laugh, "it isn't my fault if he -escapes so frequently now. Oh! he's very fond of me, all the same. Were -it not for him I should be in a bad way at the shop."</p> - -<p>His situation at The Ladies' Paradise had really been menaced since -the last stock-taking. It was in vain that he talked of the rainy -season, they could not overlook the considerable stock of fancy silks -left on hand; and as Hutin was improving the occasion—undermining him -with the governors with an increase of sly ferocity—he could feel the -ground giving way beneath him. Mouret had condemned him, weary already, -no doubt, of this witness who prevented him from breaking off with -Henriette and tired of an acquaintanceship which yielded no profit. -But, in accordance with his usual tactics, he was pushing Bourdoncle -forward: it was Bourdoncle and the other partners who insisted on -Bouthemont's dismissal at each board meeting; whilst he according to -his own account resisted then, defending his friend energetically, at -the risk even of getting into serious trouble with the others.</p> - -<p>"Well, I shall wait," resumed Madame Desforges. "You know that the girl -is to be here at five o'clock. I want to see them face to face. I must -discover their secret."</p> - -<p>And thereupon she reverted to her long-meditated plan, mentioning in -her agitation that she had requested Madame Aurélie to send her Denise -to look at a mantle which fitted badly. When she should once have got -the young girl in her room, she would find some reason for calling -Mouret, and would then act. Bouthemont, who had sat down opposite to -her, was gazing at her with his handsome laughing eyes, which he was -endeavouring to keep serious. This jovial fellow, with coal-black -beard, this dissipated blade whose warm Gascon blood empurpled his -cheeks, was thinking that fine ladies were not of much account after -all, and let out a nice lot of things when they ventured to open their -hearts.</p> - -<p>"Come," he made bold to say at last, "what can that matter to you since -I assure you that there is nothing whatever between them?"</p> - -<p>"Just so!" she cried, "it's because he loves her! I don't care a fig -for the others, the chance acquaintances, the friends of a day!"</p> - -<p>She spoke of Clara with disdain. She was well aware that Mouret, after -Denise's rejection, had fallen back on that tall, red-haired girl, with -the horse's head: and he had done this doubtless by calculation; for he -maintained her in the department, loading her with presents. Moreover -for the last three months he had been leading a terribly dissipated -life, squandering his money in costly and stupid caprices, with a -prodigality which caused many remarks.</p> - -<p>"It's that creature's fault," repeated Henriette. "I feel sure he's -ruining himself with others because she repulses him. Besides, what's -his money to me? I should have preferred him poor. You know how fond I -am of him, you who have become our friend."</p> - -<p>She stopped short, half choking, ready to burst into tears; and, in her -emotion, she held out her hands to him. It was true, she adored Mouret -for his youth and his triumphs, never before had any man thus conquered -her; but, at the thought of losing him, she also heard the knell of her -fortieth year, and asked herself with terror how she should replace -this great affection.</p> - -<p>"I'll have my revenge," she murmured, "I'll have my revenge, if he -behaves badly!"</p> - -<p>Bouthemont continued to hold her hands in his. She was still handsome. -But hers would be a troublesome acquaintance to keep up and he did not -care for that style of woman. The matter, however, deserved thinking -over; perhaps it would be worth his while to risk some annoyance.</p> - -<p>"Why don't you set up on your own account?" she asked all at once, -drawing her hands away.</p> - -<p>For a moment he was astonished. Then he replied: "But it would require -an immense sum. Last year I had such an idea in my head. I feel -convinced that there are enough customers in Paris for one or two -more big shops; but the district would have to be well chosen. The -Bon Marché holds the left side of the river; the Louvre occupies the -centre of the city; we monopolize, at The Paradise, the rich west-end -district. There remains the north, where one might start a rival -establishment to the Place Clichy. And I had discovered a splendid -position, near the Opera House——"</p> - -<p>"Well, why not?" she asked.</p> - -<p>He set up a noisy laugh. "Just fancy," he replied, "I was stupid enough -to go and talk to my father about it. Yes, I was simple enough to ask -him to find me some shareholders at Toulouse."</p> - -<p>And he gaily described the anger of the old man who remained buried -in his little country shop, full of rage against the great Parisian -bazaars. Bursting at the thought of the thirty thousand francs a year -which his son earned, he had replied that he would sooner give his -money and that of his friends to the hospitals than contribute a copper -to one of those great establishments which were the pests of trade.</p> - -<p>"Besides," the young man concluded, "it would require millions."</p> - -<p>"Suppose they were found?" observed Madame Desforges, quietly.</p> - -<p>He looked at her, becoming serious all at once. Was not this merely a -jealous woman's remark? However, she did not give him time to question -her, but added: "In short, you know what a great interest I take in -you. We'll talk about it again."</p> - -<p>The outer bell had just rung. She got up, and he, himself, drew back -his chair with an instinctive movement, as if some one might have -surprised them. Silence reigned in the drawing-room with its gay -hangings, and decorated with such a profusion of green plants that -there was like a small wood between the two windows. Henriette stood -waiting, with her ear towards the door.</p> - -<p>"It is he," she murmured.</p> - -<p>The footman announced Monsieur Mouret and Monsieur de Vallagnosc. -Henriette could not restrain a movement of anger. Why had he not come -alone? He must have gone for his friend, fearful of a <i>tête-à-tête</i> -with her. However, she smiled and shook hands with both men.</p> - -<p>"What a stranger you are becoming! I say the same for you, Monsieur de -Vallagnosc."</p> - -<p>Her great grief was that she was getting stout, and she now squeezed -herself into the tightest fitting black silk dresses, in order to -conceal her increasing corpulency. Yet her pretty head, with its dark -hair, preserved its pleasing shapeliness. And Mouret could familiarly -tell her, as he enveloped her with a look: "It's useless to ask after -your health. You are as fresh as a rose."</p> - -<p>"Oh! I'm almost too well," she replied. "Besides, I might have died; -you would have known nothing about it."</p> - -<p>She was examining him also, and thought that he looked tired and -nervous, his eyes heavy, his complexion livid.</p> - -<p>"Well," she resumed, in a tone which she endeavoured to render -agreeable, "I cannot return your compliment; you don't look at all well -this evening."</p> - -<p>"Overwork!" remarked Vallagnosc.</p> - -<p>Mouret shrugged his shoulders, without replying. He had just caught -sight of Bouthemont, and nodded to him in a friendly way. During their -closer intimacy he himself had been wont to take him away from the -department, and bring him to Henriette's during the busiest moments -of the afternoon. But times had changed; and he now said to him in an -undertone:</p> - -<p>"You went away very early. They noticed your departure, and are furious -about it."</p> - -<p>He referred to Bourdoncle and the other persons who had an interest in -the business, as if he were not himself the master.</p> - -<p>"Ah!" murmured Bouthemont, anxiously.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I want to talk to you. Wait for me, we'll leave together."</p> - -<p>Henriette had now sat down again; and, while listening to Vallagnosc, -who was announcing that Madame de Boves would probably pay her a -visit, she did not take her eyes off Mouret. The latter, again silent, -gazed at the furniture, and seemed to be looking for something on the -ceiling. Then, as she laughingly complained that she now only had -gentlemen at her four o'clock tea, he so far forgot himself as to blurt -out:</p> - -<p>"I expected to find Baron Hartmann here."</p> - -<p>Henriette turned pale. No doubt she well knew that he merely came to -her house to meet the baron; still he might have avoided throwing his -indifference in her face like that. At that moment the door had opened -and the footman was standing behind her. When she had interrogated him -by a sign, the servant leant over and said in a very low tone:</p> - -<p>"It's for that mantle. Madame wished me to let her know. The young -woman is there."</p> - -<p>Henriette at once raised her voice, so as to be heard; and all her -jealous suffering found relief in these scornfully harsh words: "She -can wait!"</p> - -<p>"Shall I show her into madame's dressing-room?" asked the servant.</p> - -<p>"No, no. Let her stay in the ante-room!"</p> - -<p>And, when the servant had gone, she quietly resumed her conversation -with Vallagnosc. Mouret, who had relapsed into his former lassitude, -had listened in an absent-minded way, without understanding, while -Bouthemont, worried by the adventure, remained buried in thought. -Almost at that moment, however, the door was opened again, and two -ladies were shown in.</p> - -<p>"Just fancy," said Madame Marty, "I was alighting at the door, when I -saw Madame de Boves coming along under the arcade."</p> - -<p>"Yes," explained the latter, "it's a fine day, and my doctor says I -must take walking exercise."</p> - -<p>Then, after a general hand-shaking, she inquired of Henriette: "So -you're engaging a new maid?"</p> - -<p>"No," replied the other, astonished. "Why?"</p> - -<p>"Because I've just seen a young woman in the ante-room."</p> - -<p>Henriette interrupted her, laughing. "It's true; all those shop-girls -look like ladies' maids, don't they? Yes, it's a young person come to -alter a mantle."</p> - -<p>Mouret gazed at her intently, a suspicion flashing across his mind. But -she went on with a forced gaiety, explaining that she had bought the -mantle in question at The Ladies' Paradise during the previous week.</p> - -<p>"What!" asked Madame Marty, "have you deserted Sauveur, then?"</p> - -<p>"No, my dear, but I wished to make an experiment. Besides, I was pretty -well satisfied with a first purchase I made—a travelling cloak. But -this time it has not succeeded at all. You may say what you like, one -is horribly rigged out in the big shops. I speak out plainly, even -before Monsieur Mouret. He will never know how to dress a woman who is -in the least degree stylish."</p> - -<p>Mouret did not defend his establishment, but still kept his eyes on -her, consoling himself with the thought that she would never have dared -to do what he had suspected. And it was Bouthemont who had to plead the -cause of The Ladies' Paradise.</p> - -<p>"If all the aristocratic ladies who patronize us were to proclaim -it," he retorted gaily, "you would be astonished by the names of our -customers. Order a garment to measure at our place, it will equal one -from Sauveur's and cost you but half the money. But there, just because -it's cheaper, it's not so good."</p> - -<p>"So it doesn't fit, the mantle you speak of?" resumed Madame de -Boves. "Ah! now I remember the young person. It's rather dark in your -ante-room."</p> - -<p>"Yes," added Madame Marty, "I was wondering where I had seen that -figure before. Well! go, my dear, don't stand on ceremony with us."</p> - -<p>Henriette assumed a look of disdainful unconcern. "Oh, presently, there -is no hurry."</p> - -<p>Then the ladies continued the discussion on the garments sold at the -large establishments; and afterwards Madame de Boves spoke of her -husband, who, said she, had gone to inspect the stud-farm at Saint-Lô; -while at the same time Henriette related that, owing to the illness of -an aunt, Madame Guibal had been suddenly called into Franche-Comté. -Moreover, she did not reckon that day on seeing Madame Bourdelais -either, for at the end of every month the latter shut herself up -with a needlewoman to look over her young people's clothes. Madame -Marty, meantime, seemed agitated by some secret trouble. Her husband's -position at the Lycée Bonaparte was menaced, in consequence of the -lessons which the poor man gave in certain private establishments where -a regular trade was carried on in B.A. diplomas; he now feverishly -earned money wherever he could, in order to meet the rage for spending -which was pillaging his household; and his wife, on seeing him weeping -one evening from fear of dismissal, had conceived the idea of asking -her friend Henriette to speak to a director at the Ministry of Public -Instruction with whom she was acquainted. Henriette finished by -quieting her with a few words. Monsieur Marty, however, was coming -himself that afternoon to learn his fate and thank her.</p> - -<p>"You look unwell, Monsieur Mouret," all at once observed Madame de -Boves.</p> - -<p>"Overwork!" repeated Vallagnosc, with ironic apathy.</p> - -<p>Mouret quickly rose as if ashamed of forgetting himself in this -fashion. He took his accustomed place in the midst of the ladies, and -recovered all his agreeable manners. He was now busy with the winter -novelties, and spoke of a considerable arrival of lace, whereupon -Madame de Boves questioned him as to the price of Alençon point: she -felt inclined to buy some. She was, however, now obliged to be sparing -of even thirty sous for a cab fare and would return home quite ill from -the effects of stopping before the displays in the shop windows. Draped -in a mantle which was already two years old, she tried, in imagination, -on her queenly shoulders all the most expensive garments she saw; -and it was as though they had been torn from off her when she awoke -and found herself still wearing her patched-up dresses, without the -slightest hope of ever satisfying her passion.</p> - -<p>"Baron Hartmann," now announced the footman.</p> - -<p>Henriette observed with what pleasure Mouret shook hands with the new -arrival. The latter bowed to the ladies, and glanced at the young man -with that subtle expression which sometimes illumined his big Alsatian -face.</p> - -<p>"Always plunged in dress!" he murmured, with a smile; and like a friend -of the house, he ventured to add: "There's a charming young person in -the ante-room. Who is she?"</p> - -<p>"Oh! nobody," replied Madame Desforges, in her ill-natured voice. "Only -a shop-girl waiting to see me."</p> - -<p>The door had remained half-open as the servant was bringing in the tea. -He went out, came in again, placed the china service on the table and -then brought some plates of sandwiches and biscuits. In the spacious -room, a bright light, softened by the green plants, illumined the -brass-work, and bathed the silk hangings in a tender glow; and each -time the door opened one could perceive a dim corner of the ante-room, -which was only lighted by two ground-glass windows. There, in the -gloom, appeared a sombre form, motionless and patient. Denise was -standing; there was indeed a leather-covered bench there, but a feeling -of pride prevented her from sitting down on it. She felt the insult -intended her. She had been there for the last half-hour, without a -sign, without a word. The ladies and the baron had taken stock of her -in passing; she could now just hear the voices from the drawing-room; -all the pleasant luxury wounded her with its indifference; and still -she did not move. Suddenly, however, through the half-open doorway, she -perceived Mouret; and he, on his side, had at last guessed it to be her.</p> - -<p>"Is it one of your saleswomen?" asked Baron Hartmann.</p> - -<p>Mouret had succeeded in concealing his great distress of mind; still -his voice trembled somewhat with emotion: "No doubt; but I don't know -which."</p> - -<p>"It's the little fair girl from the mantle department," replied Madame -Marty, obligingly, "the second-hand, I believe."</p> - -<p>Henriette looked at Mouret in her turn.</p> - -<p>"Ah!" said he, simply.</p> - -<p>And then he tried to change the conversation, speaking of the fêtes -that were being given to the King of Prussia who had arrived in Paris -the day before. But the baron maliciously reverted to the young ladies -in the big establishments. He pretended to be desirous of gaining -information, and put several questions: Where did they come from -in general? Was their conduct as bad as it was said to be? Quite a -discussion ensued.</p> - -<p>"Really," he repeated, "you think them well-behaved?"</p> - -<p>Mouret defended their conduct with a conviction which made Vallagnosc -smile. Bouthemont then interfered, to save his chief. Of course, there -were some of all sorts, bad and good, though they were all improving. -Formerly they had secured nothing but the refuse of the trade; a poor, -doubtful class of girls who had drifted into the drapery business; -whereas now respectable families in the Rue de Sèvres positively -brought up their daughters for the Bon Marché. In short, when they -liked to conduct themselves well, they could; for they were not, like -the work-girls of Paris, obliged to board and lodge themselves; they -had bed and board given them, their existence, though an extremely hard -one, no doubt, was at all events provided for. The worst was their -neutral, ill-defined position, something between the shopwoman and -the lady. Thrown into the midst of luxury, often without any primary -instruction, they formed a nameless class apart from all others. Their -misfortunes and vices sprang from that.</p> - -<p>"For myself," said Madame de Boves, "I don't know any creatures who are -more disagreeable. Really, one could slap them at times."</p> - -<p>And then the ladies vented their spite. Quite a battle was waged at the -shop-counters, where woman was pitted against woman in a sharp rivalry -of wealth and beauty. There was the sullen jealousy of the saleswomen -towards the well-dressed customers, the ladies whose manners they tried -to imitate, and there was a still stronger feeling on the part of the -poorly-dressed customers, those of the lower middle-class, against the -saleswomen, those girls arrayed in silk, from whom they would have -liked to exact a servant's humility even in the serving of a half franc -purchase.</p> - -<p>"Don't speak of them," said Henriette, by way of conclusion, "they are -a wretched lot as worthless as the goods they sell!"</p> - -<p>Mouret had the strength to smile. The baron was looking at him, so -touched by his graceful command over himself that he changed the -conversation, returning to the fêtes that were being given to the -King of Prussia: they would be superb, said he, the whole trade of -Paris would profit by them. Henriette meanwhile remained silent and -thoughtful, divided between the desire to let Denise remain forgotten -in the ante-room, and the fear that Mouret, now aware of her presence, -might go away. At last she rose from her chair.</p> - -<p>"You will allow me?" said she.</p> - -<p>"Certainly, my dear!" replied Madame Marty. "I will do the honours of -the house for you."</p> - -<p>She got up, took the teapot, and filled the cups. Henriette turned -towards Baron Hartmann, saying: "You will stay a few minutes, won't -you?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; I want to speak to Monsieur Mouret. We are going to invade your -little drawing-room."</p> - -<p>She went out, and her black silk dress, in rustling against the door, -made a noise like that of a snake wriggling through brushwood. The -baron at once manœuvred to carry Mouret off, leaving the ladies to -Bouthemont and Vallagnosc. Then they stood talking before the window -of the other room in a low tone. A fresh affair was in question. -For a long time past Mouret had cherished a desire to realize his -former project, the invasion of the whole block of building from -the Rue Monsigny to the Rue de la Michodière and from the Rue -Neuve-Saint-Augustin to the Rue du Dix-Décembre, by The Ladies' -Paradise. Of this enormous square there still remained a large plot -of ground fronting the last named street, which he had not acquired; -and this sufficed to spoil his triumph, he was tormented by a desire -to complete his conquest, to erect there a sort of apotheosis, a -monumental façade. As long as his principal entrance should remain in -the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, in a dark street of olden Paris, his work -would be incomplete, deficient in logic. He wished to set it up face to -face with new Paris, in one of those modern avenues through which the -busy multitude of the end of the nineteenth century passed in the full -glare of the sunlight. He could imagine it dominating, imposing itself -as the giant palace of commerce, casting even a greater shadow over -the city than the old Louvre itself. But hitherto he had been baulked -by the obstinacy of the Crédit Immobilier, which still clung to its -first idea of building a rival establishment to the Grand Hôtel on the -site in question. The plans were ready, they were only waiting for the -clearing of the Rue du Dix-Décembre to begin digging the foundations. -At last, however, by a supreme effort, Mouret had almost convinced -Baron Hartmann.</p> - -<p>"Well!" the latter began, "we had a board-meeting yesterday, and I came -to-day, thinking I should meet you, and wishing to keep you informed. -They still resist."</p> - -<p>The young man allowed a nervous gesture to escape him. "But it's -ridiculous. What do they say?"</p> - -<p>"Dear me! they say what I have said to you myself, and what I am still -inclined to think. Your façade is only an ornament, the new buildings -would only increase the area of your establishment by about a tenth, -and it would be throwing away immense sums on a mere advertisement."</p> - -<p>At this, Mouret burst out. "An advertisement! an advertisement! In any -case this one would be in stone, and outlive all of us. Just consider -that it would increase our business tenfold! We should see our money -back in two years. How can ground be lost if it returns you an enormous -interest! You will see what crowds we shall have when our customers are -no longer obliged to struggle through the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, -but can pass freely down a thoroughfare broad enough for six carriages -abreast."</p> - -<p>"No doubt," replied the baron, laughing. "But you are a poet in your -way, let me tell you once more. These gentlemen think it would be -dangerous for you to extend your business further. They want to be -prudent for you."</p> - -<p>"How! prudent? I no longer understand. Don't the figures show the -constant increase in our sales? At first, with a capital of five -hundred thousand francs, I did business to the extent of two millions, -turning over the capital four times every year. It then became four -million francs, which, turned over ten times, produced business to the -extent of forty millions. In short, after successive increases, I have -just learnt, from the last stock-taking, that the business done now -amounts to a total of eighty millions; the capital, which has only been -slightly increased—for it does not exceed six millions—has passed -over our counters, in the form of goods sold, more than twelve times in -the year!"</p> - -<p>He raised his voice and tapped the fingers of his right hand on the -palm of his left, knocking down those millions as he might have cracked -nuts. The baron interrupted him. "I know, I know. But you don't hope to -keep on increasing in this way, do you?"</p> - -<p>"Why not?" asked Mouret, ingenuously. "There's no reason why it -should stop. The capital can be turned over as many as fifteen times, -I predicted as much long ago. In certain departments it can even be -turned over twenty-five or thirty times. And after? well! after, we'll -find a means of turning it over still more."</p> - -<p>"So you'll finish by swallowing up all the money in Paris, as you'd -swallow a glass of water?"</p> - -<p>"Most decidedly. Doesn't Paris belong to the women, and don't the women -belong to us?"</p> - -<p>The baron laid his hands on Mouret's shoulders, looking at him with a -paternal air. "Listen, you're a fine fellow, and I like you. There's -no resisting you. We'll go into the matter seriously, and I hope to -make them listen to reason. So far, we are perfectly satisfied with -you. Your dividends astonish the Bourse. You must be right; it will -be better to put more money into your business, than to risk this -competition with the Grand Hôtel, which is hazardous."</p> - -<p>Mouret's excitement at once subsided and he thanked the baron, but -without any of his usual enthusiasm; and the other saw him turn his -eyes towards the door of the next room, again a prey to the secret -anxiety which he was concealing. Meanwhile Vallagnosc had come up, on -seeing that they had finished talking business. He stood close to them, -listening to the baron, who, with the air of an old man who had seen -life, was muttering: "I say, I fancy they're taking their revenge."</p> - -<p>"Who?" asked Mouret in embarrassment.</p> - -<p>"Why, the women. They're getting tired of belonging to you, and you now -belong to them, my dear fellow: it's only just!"</p> - -<p>Then he joked him, well aware as he was of the young man's notorious -love affairs. The enormous sums squandered by Mouret in costly and -stupid caprices, amused him as an excuse for the follies which he had -formerly committed himself. His old experience rejoiced to think that -men had in no wise changed.</p> - -<p>"Really, I don't understand you," repeated Mouret.</p> - -<p>"Oh! you understand well enough," answered the baron. "They always get -the last word. In fact, I thought to myself: It isn't possible, he's -boasting, he can't be so strong as that! And now there you are! So -though you obtain all you can from woman and work her as you would a -coal mine, it's simply in order that she may work you afterwards, and -force you to refund! And take care, for she'll draw more money from you -than you have ever drawn from her."</p> - -<p>He laughed louder still, and Vallagnosc standing by also began to grin, -without, however, saying a word.</p> - -<p>"Dear me! one must have a taste of everything," confessed Mouret, -pretending to laugh as well. "Money is worthless, if it isn't spent."</p> - -<p>"As for that, I agree with you," resumed the baron. "Enjoy yourself, my -dear fellow. I'll not be the one to preach to you, or to tremble for -the great interests we have confided to your care. Every one must sow -his wild oats, and his head is generally clearer afterwards. Besides, -there's nothing unpleasant in ruining one's self when one feels capable -of building up another fortune. But if money is nothing, there are -certain sufferings——"</p> - -<p>He stopped and his smile became sad; former sufferings doubtless -returned to his mind amid the irony of his scepticism. He had watched -the duel between Henriette and Mouret with the curiosity of a man who -still felt greatly interested in other people's love battles; and he -divined that the crisis had arrived, he guessed the pending drama, -being well acquainted with the story of that girl Denise whom he had -seen in the ante-room.</p> - -<p>"Oh! as for suffering, that's not in my line," said Mouret, in a tone -of bravado. "It's quite enough to have to pay."</p> - -<p>The baron looked at him for a moment without speaking. And not wishing -to insist on the subject he added, slowly—"Don't make yourself out to -be worse than you are! You'll lose something else besides your money. -Yes, you'll lose a part of yourself, my dear fellow."</p> - -<p>Then he broke off again, laughing, to ask: "That often happens, does it -not, Monsieur de Vallagnosc?"</p> - -<p>"So they say, baron," the latter merely replied.</p> - -<p>Just at this moment the door opened. Mouret, who was about to answer -in his turn, started slightly, and both he and his companions turned -round. It was Madame Desforges who, looking very gay, had put her head -through the doorway to call, in a hurried voice—"Monsieur Mouret! -Monsieur Mouret!" And then perceiving the others, she added, "Oh! -you'll excuse me, won't you, gentlemen? I'm going to take Monsieur -Mouret away for a minute. The least he can do, as he has sold me such -a frightful mantle, is to give me the benefit of his experience. This -girl is a stupid thing without an idea in her head. Come, come! I'm -waiting for you."</p> - -<p>He hesitated, undecided, flinching from the scene he could foresee. -However, he had to obey.</p> - -<p>"Go, my dear fellow, go, madame wants you," the baron said to him, with -his air at once paternal and mocking.</p> - -<p>Thereupon Mouret followed her. The door closed, and he thought he could -hear Vallagnosc's laugh, muffled by the hangings. His courage was -entirely exhausted. Since Henriette had quitted the drawing-room, and -he had known Denise to be there in jealous hands, he had experienced a -growing anxiety, a nervous torment, which made him listen from time to -time, as if suddenly startled by a distant sound of weeping. What could -that woman invent to torture her? And all his love, that love which -surprised him even now, went forth to the girl like a support and a -consolation. Never before had he loved like this, found such a powerful -charm in suffering. His former affections, his love for Henriette -herself—so delicate, so handsome, so flattering to his pride—had -never been more than agreeable pastimes; whereas nowadays his heart -beat with anguish, his life was taken, he could no longer even enjoy -the forgetfulness of sleep. Denise was ever in his thoughts. Even at -this moment she was the sole object of his anxiety, and he was telling -himself that he preferred to be there to protect her, notwithstanding -his fear of some regrettable scene with the one he was following.</p> - -<p>At first, they both crossed the bed-room, silent and empty. Then -Madame Desforges, pushing open a door, entered the dressing-room, with -Mouret behind her. It was a rather large room, hung with red silk and -furnished with a marble toilet table and a large wardrobe with three -compartments and great glass doors. As the window overlooked the -court-yard, it was already rather dark, and the two nickel-plated gas -burners on either side of the wardrobe had been lighted.</p> - -<p>"Now, let's see," said Henriette, "perhaps we shall get on better."</p> - -<p>On entering, Mouret had found Denise standing upright, in the middle -of the bright light. She was very pale, modestly dressed in a cashmere -jacket, with a black hat on her head; and she was holding the mantle -purchased at The Ladies' Paradise. When she saw the young man her hands -slightly trembled.</p> - -<p>"I wish Monsieur Mouret to judge," resumed Henriette. "Just help me, -mademoiselle."</p> - -<p>Then Denise, approaching, had to give her the mantle. She had already -placed some pins on the shoulders, the part that did not fit. Henriette -turned round to look at herself in the glass.</p> - -<p>"Is it possible? Speak frankly," said she.</p> - -<p>"It really is a failure, madame," replied Mouret, to cut the matter -short. "It's very simple; the young lady will take your measure, and we -will make you another."</p> - -<p>"No, I want this one, I want it immediately," she resumed with -vivacity. "But it's too narrow across the chest, and it forms a ruck -at the back between the shoulders." Then, in her sharpest voice, she -added: "It's no use for you to stand looking at me, mademoiselle, that -won't make it any better! Try and find a remedy. It's your business."</p> - -<p>Denise again commenced to place the pins, without saying a word. This -went on for some time: she had to pass from one shoulder to the other, -and was even obliged to go almost on her knees, in order to pull the -mantle down in front. Above her, placing herself entirely in her hands, -was Madame Desforges, imparting to her face the harsh expression of a -mistress exceedingly difficult to please. Delighted to lower the young -girl to this servant's work, she gave her curt orders, watching the -while for the least sign of suffering on Mouret's face.</p> - -<p>"Put a pin here! No! not there, here, near the sleeve. You don't seem -to understand! That isn't it, there's the ruck showing again. Take -care, you're pricking me now!"</p> - -<p>Twice again did Mouret vainly attempt to interfere, in order to put -an end to this scene. His heart was beating violently from this -humiliation of his love; and he loved Denise more than ever, with -a deep tenderness, in presence of her admirably silent and patient -demeanour. If the girl's hands still trembled somewhat, at being -treated in this way before his face, she nevertheless accepted the -necessities of her position with the proud resignation of one who was -courageous. When Madame Desforges found they were not likely to betray -themselves, she tried another device: she began to smile on Mouret, -treating him openly as a lover. The pins having run short, she said to -him:</p> - -<p>"Look, my dear, in the ivory box on the dressing-table. Really! it's -empty? Well, kindly look on the chimney-piece in the bed-room; you -know, just beside the looking-glass."</p> - -<p>She spoke as if he were quite at home there, and knew where to find -everything. And when he came back with a few pins, she took them one by -one, and forced him to remain near her, looking at him the while and -speaking low: "I don't fancy I'm hump-backed, eh? Give me your hand, -feel my shoulders, just to please me. Am I really made like that?"</p> - -<p>Denise slowly raised her eyes, paler than ever, and in silence set -about placing the pins. Mouret could only see her heavy blonde tresses, -twisted at the back of her delicate neck; but by the slight tremor -which was raising them, he could imagine the uneasiness and shame of -her face. Hereafter she would most certainly repulse him, and send -him back to this woman who did not conceal her affection even before -strangers. Brutal thoughts came into his head, he could have struck -Henriette. How was he to stop her talk? How tell Denise that he adored -her, that she alone existed for him at this moment, and that he was -ready to sacrifice for her all his former caprices of a day? The worst -of women would not have indulged in the equivocal familiarities of this -well-born lady. At last he withdrew his hand, saying:</p> - -<p>"You are wrong in being so obstinate, madame, since I myself consider -the garment to be a failure."</p> - -<p>One of the gas jets was hissing; and in the stuffy, moist air of the -room, nothing else was heard but that ardent sibilant breath. On the -red silk hangings the glass-doors of the wardrobe cast broad sheets -of vivid light in which the shadows of the two women played. A bottle -containing some essence of verbena, which had been left uncorked -inadvertently, emitted a vague expiring odour of fading flowers.</p> - -<p>"There, madame, that is all I can do," at last said Denise, rising up.</p> - -<p>She felt thoroughly worn out. Twice had she run the pins into her -fingers, as if blind, her eyes clouded. Was he in the plot? Had he -sent for her, to avenge himself for her refusal by showing her that -other women had affection for him? This thought chilled her; she could -not remember having ever stood in need of so much courage, not even -during the terrible hours of her life when she had lacked bread. It was -comparatively nothing to be humiliated in this way, but to see him so -unconstrained with that other woman was dreadful. Henriette looked at -herself in the glass, and once more burst into harsh words.</p> - -<p>"What nonsense, mademoiselle! It fits worse than ever. Just see how -tight it is across the chest. I look like a wet nurse!"</p> - -<p>Denise, losing all patience thereupon made a rather unfortunate remark: -"You are rather stout, madame. We cannot make you thinner than you are."</p> - -<p>"Stout! stout!" exclaimed Henriette, turning pale in her turn. "You're -becoming insolent now, mademoiselle. Really, I should advise you to -criticize others!"</p> - -<p>They both stood looking at one another, face to face, and trembling. -There was now neither lady nor shop-girl left. They were simply two -women, made equal by their rivalry. The one had violently taken off the -mantle and cast it on a chair, whilst the other was throwing on the -dressing-table the few pins still remaining in her hands.</p> - -<p>"What astonishes me," resumed Henriette, "is that Monsieur Mouret -should tolerate such insolence. I thought, sir, that you were more -particular about your employees."</p> - -<p>Denise had again recovered her brave, calm manner. "If Monsieur Mouret -keeps me in his employ," she gently replied, "it's because he has no -fault to find. I am ready to apologize to you, if he desires it."</p> - -<p>Mouret was listening, excited by this quarrel but unable to find a -word to put a stop to it. He had a great horror of these explanations -between women, whose asperity clashed with his perpetual desire for -grace and refinement. Henriette was seeking to compel him to say -something in condemnation of the girl; and, as he still remained mute -and undecided, she stung him with a final insult:</p> - -<p>"Very good, sir. It seems that I must suffer the insolence of your -mistresses in my own house even! A creature you've picked out of some -gutter!"</p> - -<p>Two big tears gushed from Denise's eyes. She had been keeping them -back for some time past; but beneath this last insult her whole being -succumbed. And when he saw her weeping like that with a silent, -despairing dignity, never making the slightest attempt at retaliation, -Mouret no longer hesitated; his heart went forth to her full of immense -affection. He took her hands in his and stammered: "Go away quickly, my -child, and forget this house!"</p> - -<p>Henriette, perfectly amazed, choking with anger, stood looking at them.</p> - -<p>"Wait a minute," he continued, folding up the mantle himself, "take -this garment away. Madame will purchase another one elsewhere. And pray -don't cry any more. You know how greatly I esteem you."</p> - -<p>He went with her to the door, which he closed behind her. She had not -said a word; but a pink flame had coloured her cheeks, whilst her eyes -moistened with fresh tears, tears of a delicious sweetness. Henriette, -who was suffocating, had taken out her handkerchief and was crushing -her lips with it. This was a total overthrow of her calculations; she -herself had been caught in the trap she had laid. She was mortified -with herself for having carried matters too far, and bitterly tortured -by jealousy. To be abandoned for such a creature as that! To see -herself disdained before her! Her pride suffered even more than her -affection.</p> - -<p>"So, it's that girl you love?" she said painfully, when they were alone.</p> - -<p>Mouret did not at once reply; he was walking about from the window to -the door, seeking to stifle his violent emotion. At last, however, he -stopped, and very politely, in a voice which he tried to render frigid, -he replied in all simplicity: "Yes, madame."</p> - -<p>The gas jet was still hissing in the stuffy air of the dressing-room. -But the reflections of the glass doors were no longer traversed by -dancing shadows, the room seemed bare and full of profound sadness. -And Henriette suddenly dropped upon a chair, twisting her handkerchief -between her febrile fingers, and, repeating amid her sobs: "Good -heavens! how wretched I am!"</p> - -<p>He stood perfectly still, looking at her for several seconds, and then -went quietly away. She, left all alone, wept on in the silence, before -the pins scattered over the dressing-table and the floor.</p> - -<p>When Mouret returned to the little drawing-room, he found Vallagnosc -alone, the baron having gone back to the ladies. As he still felt -very agitated, he sat down at the further end of the apartment, on a -sofa; and his friend on seeing him so faint charitably came and stood -before him, to conceal him from curious eyes. At first, they looked -at each other without saying a word. Then, Vallagnosc, who seemed to -be inwardly amused by Mouret's emotion, finished by asking in his -bantering voice: "Are you enjoying yourself?"</p> - -<p>Mouret did not appear to understand him at first. But when he -remembered their former conversations on the empty stupidity and -useless torture of life, he replied: "Of course, I've never before -lived so much. Ah! my boy, don't you laugh, the hours that make one -die of grief are by far the shortest!" Then he lowered his voice and -continued gaily, beneath his half-dried tears: "Yes, you know all, -don't you? Between them they have rent my heart. But yet the wounds -they make are nice, almost as nice as kisses. I am thoroughly exhausted -but, no matter, you can't think how I love life! Oh! I shall win her at -last, that little girl who still says no!"</p> - -<p>But Vallagnosc once more trotted out his pessimism. What was the good -of working so much if money could not procure everything? He would -precious soon have shut up shop and have given up work on the day he -found that his millions could not even win him the woman he loved! -Mouret, as he listened became grave. But all at once he protested -violently, believing as he did in the all-powerfulness of his will.</p> - -<p>"I love her, and I'll win her!" said he. "But even if she escapes -me, you'll see what a place I shall build to cure myself. It will be -splendid, all the same. You don't understand this language, old man, -otherwise you would know that action contains its own recompense. To -act, to create, to struggle against facts, to overcome them or be -overthrown by them, all human health and joy consists in that!"</p> - -<p>"A mere way of diverting one's self," murmured the other.</p> - -<p>"Well! I prefer diverting myself. As one must die, I would rather die -of passion than boredom!"</p> - -<p>They both laughed, this reminded them of their old discussions at -college. Then Vallagnosc, in an effeminate voice, began to parade his -theories of the insipidity of things, making almost a boast of the -immobility and emptiness of his existence. Yes, he would be as bored at -the Ministry on the morrow as he had been on the day before. In three -years he had had a rise of six hundred francs, he was now receiving -three thousand six hundred, barely enough to pay for his cigars. Things -were getting worse than ever, and if he did not kill himself, it was -simply from idleness and a dislike of trouble. On Mouret speaking of -his marriage with Mademoiselle de Boves, he replied that despite the -obstinacy of the aunt in refusing to die, the matter was about to be -concluded; at least, he thought so, the parents were agreed, and he -affected to have no will of his own. What was the use of wishing or not -wishing, since things never turned out as one desired?</p> - -<p>And as an example of this he mentioned his future father-in-law, who -had expected to find in Madame Guibal an indolent blonde, the caprice -of an hour, but was now led by her with a whip, like an old horse on -its last legs. Whilst they supposed him to be inspecting the stud at -Saint-Lô, he was squandering his last resources with her in a little -house at Versailles.</p> - -<p>"He's happier than you," said Mouret, getting up.</p> - -<p>"Oh! rather!" declared Vallagnosc. "Perhaps there's only wrong-doing -that's at all amusing."</p> - -<p>Mouret was now himself again. He was thinking about getting away; but -not wishing his departure to resemble a flight he resolved to take -a cup of tea, and therefore went into the big drawing-room with his -friend, both of them in high spirits. When the ladies inquired if the -mantle had been made to fit, Mouret carelessly replied that he had -given it up as a bad job as far as he was concerned. At this the others -seemed astonished, and whilst Madame Marty hastened to serve him, -Madame de Boves accused the shops of never allowing enough material for -their garments.</p> - -<p>At last, he managed to sit down near Bouthemont, who had not stirred. -The two were forgotten for a moment, and, in reply to the anxious -questions of Bouthemont, who wished to know what he had to expect, -Mouret did not hesitate any longer, but abruptly informed him that the -board of directors had decided to deprive themselves of his services. -He sipped his tea between each sentence he uttered, protesting all the -while that he was in despair. Oh! a quarrel that he had not even yet -got over, for he had left the meeting beside himself with rage. But -then what could he do? he could not break with those gentlemen about -a simple staff question. Bouthemont, very pale, had to thank him once -more.</p> - -<p>"What a terrible mantle," at last observed Madame Marty. "Henriette -can't get over it."</p> - -<p>And really the prolonged absence of the mistress of the house had -begun to make every one feel awkward. But, at that very moment, Madame -Desforges appeared.</p> - -<p>"So you've given it up as well?" exclaimed Madame de Boves, gaily.</p> - -<p>"How do you mean?"</p> - -<p>"Why, Monsieur Mouret told us that you could do nothing with it."</p> - -<p>Henriette affected the greatest surprise. "Monsieur Mouret was joking," -said she. "The mantle will fit splendidly."</p> - -<p>She appeared very calm and smiling. No doubt she had bathed her eyes, -for they were quite fresh, without the slightest trace of redness. -Whilst her whole being was still trembling and bleeding, she managed -to conceal her torment beneath a mask of smiling, well-bred elegance. -And she offered some sandwiches to Vallagnosc with her usual graceful -smile. Only the baron who knew her so well, remarked the slight -contraction of her lips and the sombre fire which she had not been able -to extinguish in the depths of her eyes. He guessed the whole scene.</p> - -<p>"Dear me! each one to her taste," said Madame de Boves, also accepting -a sandwich. "I know some women who would never buy a ribbon except -at the Louvre. Others swear by the Bon Marché. It's a question of -temperament, no doubt."</p> - -<p>"The Bon Marché is very provincial," murmured Madame Marty, "and one -gets so crushed at the Louvre."</p> - -<p>They had again returned to the big establishments. Mouret had to give -his opinion; he came up to them and affected to be very impartial. -The Bon Marché was an excellent house, solid and respectable; but the -Louvre certainly had a more showy class of customers.</p> - -<p>"In short, you prefer The Ladies' Paradise," said the baron, smiling.</p> - -<p>"Yes," replied Mouret, quietly. "There we really love our customers."</p> - -<p>All the women present were of his opinion. It was indeed just that; at -The Ladies' Paradise, they found themselves as at a sort of private -party, they felt a continual caress of flattery, an overflowing -adoration which made the most dignified of them linger there. The vast -success of the establishment sprang from that gallant fascination.</p> - -<p>"By the way," asked Henriette, who wished to appear entirely at her -ease, "what have you done with my protégée, Monsieur Mouret? You -know—Mademoiselle de Fontenailles." And, turning towards Madame -Marty, she explained, "A marchioness, my dear, a poor girl fallen into -poverty."</p> - -<p>"Oh," said Mouret, "she earns three francs a day by stitching -pattern-books, and I fancy I shall be able to marry her to one of my -messengers."</p> - -<p>"Oh! fie! what a horror!" exclaimed Madame de Boves.</p> - -<p>He looked at her, and replied in his calm voice: "Why so, madame? Isn't -it better for her to marry an honest, hard-working messenger than -to run the risk of being picked up by some good-for-nothing fellow -outside?"</p> - -<p>Vallagnosc wished to interfere, for the sake of a joke. "Don't push him -too far, madame, or he'll tell you that all the old families of France -ought to sell calico."</p> - -<p>"Well," declared Mouret, "it would at least be an honourable end for a -great many of them."</p> - -<p>They set up a laugh, the paradox seemed far fetched. But he continued -to sing the praises of what he called the aristocracy of work. A slight -flush had coloured Madame de Boves's cheeks, she was wild at the shifts -to which she was put by her poverty; whilst Madame Marty, on the -contrary, approved what was said, stricken with remorse on thinking of -her poor husband. Just then the footman ushered in the professor, who -had called to take her home. In his thin, shiny frock-coat he looked -more shrivelled than ever by all his hard toil. When he had thanked -Madame Desforges for having spoken for him at the Ministry, he cast at -Mouret the timid glance of a man encountering the evil that is to kill -him. And he was quite confused when he heard the other ask him:</p> - -<p>"Isn't it true, sir, that work leads to everything?"</p> - -<p>"Work and thrift," replied he, with a slight shiver of his whole body. -"Add thrift, sir."</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, Bouthemont had not moved from his chair, Mouret's words -were still ringing in his ears. But at last he got up, and approaching -Henriette said to her in a low tone: "Do you know, he's given me -notice; oh! in the kindest possible manner. But may I be hanged if he -shan't repent it! I've just found my sign, The Four Seasons, and shall -plant myself close to the Opera House!"</p> - -<p>She looked at him with a gloomy expression. "Reckon on me, I'm with -you. Wait a minute," she said.</p> - -<p>And forthwith she drew Baron Hartmann into the recess of a window, and -boldly recommended Bouthemont to him, as a fellow who would in his -turn revolutionize Paris, by setting up for himself. When she went -on to speak of an advance of funds for her new protégé, the baron, -though now never astonished at anything, could not restrain a gesture -of bewilderment. This was the fourth fellow of genius that she had -confided to him, and he was beginning to feel ridiculous. But he did -not directly refuse, the idea of starting a competitor to The Ladies' -Paradise even pleased him somewhat; for in banking matters he had -already invented this sort of competition, to keep off others. Besides, -the adventure amused him, and he promised to look into the matter.</p> - -<p>"We must talk it over to-night," whispered Henriette on returning to -Bouthemont. "Don't fail to call about nine o'clock. The baron is with -us."</p> - -<p>At this moment the spacious room was full of chatter. Mouret, still -standing in the midst of the ladies, had recovered his elegant -gracefulness; he was gaily defending himself from the charge of ruining -them in dress and offering to prove by figures that he enabled them -to save thirty per cent on their purchases. Baron Hartmann watched -him, seized with a fraternal admiration. Come! the duel was finished, -Henriette was decidedly beaten, she certainly was not the woman who was -to avenge all the others. And he fancied he could again see the modest -profile of the girl whom he had observed when passing through the -ante-room. She stood there, waiting, alone redoubtable in her sweetness.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</a></h4> - - -<p>It was on the 25th of September that the building of the new façade -of The Ladies' Paradise commenced. Baron Hartmann, according to his -promise, had managed to settle the matter at the last general meeting -of the Crédit Immobilier. And Mouret was at length approaching the -realization of his dream: this façade, about to arise in the Rue du -Dix-Décembre, was like the very blossoming of his fortune. He therefore -desired to celebrate the laying of the foundation stone; and made it a -ceremony, besides distributing gratuities amongst his employees, and -giving them game and champagne for dinner in the evening. Every one -noticed his wonderful good humour during the ceremony, his victorious -gesture as he made the first stone fast with a flourish of the trowel. -For weeks he had been anxious, agitated by a nervous torment that he -did not always manage to conceal; and his triumph brought a respite, -a distraction to his suffering. During the afternoon he seemed to -have returned to his former healthy gaiety. But, at dinner-time, when -he went through the refectory to drink a glass of champagne with his -staff, he appeared feverish again, smiling with a painful look, his -features drawn by the unconfessed suffering which was consuming him. He -was once more mastered by it.</p> - -<p>The next day, in the cloak and mantle department, Clara Prunaire -tried to be disagreeable with Denise. She had noticed Colomban's -lackadaisical passion, and took it into her head to joke about the -Baudus. As Marguerite was sharpening her pencil while waiting for -customers, she said to her, in a loud voice:</p> - -<p>"You know my admirer opposite. It really grieves me to see him in that -dark shop which no one ever enters."</p> - -<p>"He's not so badly off," replied Marguerite, "he's going to marry the -governor's daughter."</p> - -<p>"Oh! oh!" resumed Clara, "it would be good fun to flirt with him then! -I'll try the game, on my word of honour!"</p> - -<p>And she continued in the same strain, happy to feel that Denise was -shocked. The latter forgave her everything else; but the thought of her -dying cousin Geneviève being finished off by such cruelty, exasperated -her. As it happened, at that moment a customer came in, and as Madame -Aurélie had just gone downstairs, she took the direction of the -counter, and called Clara.</p> - -<p>"Mademoiselle Prunaire, you had better attend to this lady instead of -gossiping there."</p> - -<p>"I wasn't gossiping."</p> - -<p>"Have the kindness to hold your tongue, and attend to this lady -immediately."</p> - -<p>Clara gave in, conquered. When Denise showed her authority, without -raising her voice, not one of them resisted. She had acquired this -absolute authority by her very moderation. For a moment she walked up -and down in silence, amidst the young ladies who had become serious -again. Marguerite had resumed sharpening her pencil, the point of which -was always breaking.</p> - -<p>"What! you're getting angry?" all at once said a voice behind Denise.</p> - -<p>It was Pauline, on her way across the department. She had noticed the -scene, and spoke in a low tone, smiling.</p> - -<p>"But I'm obliged to," replied Denise in the same tone, "I can't manage -them otherwise."</p> - -<p>Pauline shrugged her shoulders. "Nonsense, you can be queen over all of -us whenever you like," she replied. She was still unable to understand -her friend's refusal.</p> - -<p>Since the end of August, Pauline had been married to Baugé; a most -stupid affair, she would sometimes gaily remark. That terrible -Bourdoncle treated her anyhow, now, considering her as lost for trade. -Her great fear was that they might some fine day send her to love her -husband elsewhere, for the managers had decreed love to be execrable -and fatal to business. So great was her dread, that when she met Baugé -in the galleries she often affected not to know him. She had just had -a fright—old Jouve having nearly caught her talking to her husband -behind a pile of dusters.</p> - -<p>"See! he's followed me," she added, after hastily relating the -adventure to Denise. "Just look at him sniffing for me with his big -nose!"</p> - -<p>Jouve, in fact, was just then coming from the lace department, -correctly arrayed in a white tie, and with his nose on the scent for -some delinquent. But when he saw Denise, his face relaxed and he passed -by with an amiable smile.</p> - -<p>"Saved!" murmured Pauline. "My dear, you made him swallow that! I say, -if anything should happen to me, you would speak for me, wouldn't you? -Yes, yes, don't put on that astonished air, we know that a word from -you would revolutionize the house."</p> - -<p>And thereupon she ran off to her counter. Denise had blushed, troubled -by these friendly allusions. It was true, however. She had a vague -sensation of her power from the flattery with which she was surrounded. -When Madame Aurélie returned, and found the department quiet and busy -under the surveillance of the second-hand, she smiled at her amicably. -She threw over Mouret himself, and her amiability daily increased for -the young person who might some fine morning desire her situation as -first-hand. In a word Denise's reign was commencing.</p> - -<p>Bourdoncle alone still stood out. In the secret warfare which he -carried on against the young girl, there was in the first place a -natural antipathy. He detested her for her gentleness and her charm. -Then too he fought against her as against a fatal influence which would -place the house in peril on the day when Mouret should succumb. The -governor's commercial genius seemed certain to founder in this stupid -affection: all that they had gained by women would be swallowed up by -this one. None of them touched Bourdoncle's heart, he treated them all -with the disdain of a passionless man whose business was to live by -them, and whose last illusions had been dispelled by seeing them so -closely amidst the worries of his trade. And what made him especially -anxious in the presence of this little saleswoman, who had gradually -become so redoubtable, was that he did not in the least believe in her -disinterestedness, in the genuineness of her refusals. In his opinion -she was playing a part, the most skilful of parts, rendering Mouret -absolutely mad, capable of any folly.</p> - -<p>Thus Bourdoncle could never now catch sight of her, with her clear -eyes, sweet face, and simple attitude, without experiencing a real -fear, as if he had before him some disguised female flesh-eater, the -sombre enigma of woman, Death in the guise of a virgin. In what way -could he possibly confound the tactics of this spurious novice? He was -now only anxious to penetrate her artful ways, in the hope of exposing -them to the light of day. She would certainly commit some fault at -last; he would surprise her with one of her sweethearts, and she would -again be dismissed. The house would then resume its regular working -like a well-appointed machine.</p> - -<p>"Keep a good look-out, Monsieur Jouve," Bourdoncle kept saying to the -inspector. "I'll take care that you shall be rewarded."</p> - -<p>But Jouve was somewhat lukewarm for he knew something about women, and -asked himself whether he had not better take the part of this girl, -who might be the sovereign mistress of the morrow. Though he did not -now dare to touch her, he still thought her bewitchingly pretty. His -colonel in bygone days had killed himself for a similar little thing, -with an insignificant face, delicate and modest, one look from whom had -ravaged all hearts.</p> - -<p>"I'm watching," he replied. "But, on my word, I cannot discover -anything."</p> - -<p>And yet stories were circulating, there was quite a current of -abominable tittle-tattle running beneath the flattery and respect which -Denise felt arising around her. The whole house now declared that she -had formerly had Hutin for a sweetheart; and they were suspected of -still meeting from time to time. Deloche also was said to keep company -with her; they were continually meeting in dark corners and talking for -hours together. It was quite a scandal!</p> - -<p>"So, there's nothing about the first-hand in the silk department, or -about the young man in the lace one?" asked Bourdoncle.</p> - -<p>"No, sir, nothing yet," replied the inspector.</p> - -<p>It was with Deloche especially that Bourdoncle expected to surprise -Denise, for one morning he himself had caught them laughing together -downstairs. In the meantime, he treated her on a footing of perfect -equality, for he no longer disdained her, feeling that she was strong -enough to overthrow even himself notwithstanding his ten years' -service, should he lose the game.</p> - -<p>"Keep your eye on the young man in the lace department," he concluded -each time. "They are always together. If you catch them, call me, and -I'll manage the rest."</p> - -<p>Mouret, meanwhile, was living in anguish. Was it possible that such -a child could torture him in this manner? He could always recall her -arrival at The Ladies' Paradise, with her heavy shoes, thin black -dress, and wild look. She stammered, they all used to laugh at her, he -himself had thought her ugly at first. Ugly! and now she could have -brought him to his knees by a look, for he thought her nothing less -than an angel! Then she had remained the last in the house, repulsed, -joked at, treated by him as a curious specimen of humanity. For months -he had wanted to see how a girl sprung up, and had amused himself with -this experiment, not understanding that he was risking his heart. She, -little by little had grown and become redoubtable. Perhaps he had loved -her from the very first, even at the time when he had thought that he -felt nothing but pity for her. And yet, he had only really begun to -feel this love on the evening of their walk under the chestnut trees -of the Tuileries. His life dated from then; he could still hear the -laughter of a group of little girls, the distant fall of a jet of -water, whilst in the warm shade she walked on beside him in silence. -After that, he knew no more, his fever had increased hour by hour; all -his blood, his whole being, in fact, had been given to her. And she, -such a child—was it possible? When she passed by now, the slight gust -from her dress seemed to him so powerful that he staggered.</p> - -<p>For a long time he had struggled, and even now he frequently became -indignant and endeavoured to free himself from this idiotic possession. -What power was it she possessed that she should be able to bind him -in this way? Had he not seen her without boots to her feet? Had she -not been received almost out of charity? He could have understood -had it been a question of one of those superb creatures who charm -the multitude! but this little girl; this nobody! She had, in short, -one of those insignificant faces which excite no remark. She could -not even be very intelligent, for he remembered her bad beginning as -a saleswoman. But, after every explosion of anger, he experienced a -relapse of passion, a kind of sacred terror at having insulted his -idol. She possessed everything a woman can have that is good—courage, -gaiety, simplicity; and from her gentleness a charm of penetrating, -perfume-like subtlety was exhaled. One might at first ignore her, or -elbow her like any other girl; but the charm soon began to act with -invincible force; and one belonged to her for ever, if she deigned to -smile. Everything then beamed in her white face, her soft eyes, her -cheeks and chin full of dimples; whilst her heavy blonde hair also -seemed to light up with a royal and conquering beauty. He acknowledged -himself vanquished; she was as intelligent as she was beautiful, her -intelligence came from the best part of her being. Whilst in his eyes -the other saleswomen only possessed a superficial education, the -varnish which scales off from girls of that class, she, without any -false elegance, retained her native grace, the savour of her origin. -The broadest commercial ideas sprang up from her experience, behind her -narrow forehead, whose pure lines clearly announced the presence of a -firm will and love of order. And he could have clasped his hands to ask -her pardon for blaspheming in his hours of revolt.</p> - -<p>Why did she still refuse with such obstinacy? Twenty times had he -entreated her, increasing his offers, offering money and more money. -Then, thinking that she must be ambitious, he had promised to appoint -her first-hand, as soon as there should be a vacancy. And she had -refused, and still refused! For him it was a stupor, a struggle in -which his desire became rageful.</p> - -<p>All his days were now spent amidst the same grievous obsession. -Denise's image rose with him. After he had dreamed of her all night, -she followed him to the desk in his office, where he signed the bills -and orders from nine to ten o'clock: a work which he accomplished -mechanically, never ceasing to feel her present, still saying "no," -with her quiet air. Then, at ten o'clock, came the board-meeting, quite -a cabinet council composed of the twelve directors, at which he had to -preside; they discussed matters affecting the in-door arrangements, -examined the purchases, settled the window displays; and yet she was -still there, he heard her soft voice amidst the figures, he saw her -bright smile amidst the most complicated financial situations. After -the board-meeting, she accompanied him on the daily inspection of the -departments, and returning with him to his office in the afternoon, -she remained close to his chair from two till four o'clock, whilst he -received a crowd of important business men, the principal manufacturers -of France, bankers and inventors: a continual coming-and-going of the -wealth and intelligence of the land, a mad dance of millions, rapid -interviews during which the biggest affairs of the Paris market were -concluded. If he forgot her for a moment whilst he was deciding to -ruin or support an industry, he found her again at a sudden twitch of -his heart; his voice died away, and he asked himself what could be -the use of this princely fortune since she still refused. At last, -when five o'clock struck, he had to sign the day's correspondence, -and the mechanical working of his hand began again, whilst she rose -up before him more domineering than ever, seizing him entirely, to -hold possession of him throughout the solitary and ardent hours of the -night. And the morrows were the same days over again, days which were -so active, so full of colossal labour but which the slight shadow of a -child sufficed to ravage with anguish.</p> - -<p>However, it was particularly during his daily inspection of the -departments that he felt his misery. To have built up this giant -machine, to reign over such a world of people, and yet to be dying of -grief because a little girl would not accept him! He scorned himself, -dragging the fever and shame of his pain about with him everywhere. On -certain days he became disgusted with his power; from one end to the -other of the galleries he felt nothing but nausea. At other times he -would have wished to extend his empire, and make it so vast that she -would perhaps have yielded out of sheer admiration and fear.</p> - -<p>He would begin by stopping in the basement opposite the shoot. This was -still in the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin; but it had been necessary to -enlarge it, and it was now as wide as the bed of a river, down which -the continual flood of goods rolled with the loud noise of rushing -water. There was a succession of arrivals from all parts of the world, -rows of waggons from every railway, a ceaseless unloading, a stream -of packing-cases and bales flowing underground and absorbed by the -insatiable establishment. He gazed at this torrent pouring into his -house, he felt that he was one of the masters of the public fortune, -that he held in his hands the fate of French manufactures, and yet was -unable to buy a kiss from one of his saleswomen.</p> - -<p>Then he passed on to the receiving department, which now occupied that -part of the basement skirting the Rue Monsigny. Twenty tables were -ranged there, in the pale light from the air-holes; quite a crowd -of assistants was bustling about, emptying cases, checking goods, -and marking them in plain figures, amidst the neighbouring roar of -the shoot, which almost drowned their voices. Various managers of -departments stopped him, he had to solve difficulties and confirm -orders. The cellar filled with the soft glimmer of satin and the -whiteness of linen, a prodigious unpacking in which furs were mingled -with lace, French fancy goods with Eastern hangings. With a slow step -he wended his way amidst all these riches thrown about in disorder, -heaped up in their rough state. Up above, they would shine in the -window displays, set money galloping through the departments, no sooner -shown than carried off, in the furious rush of business which traversed -the place. But he kept on thinking that he had offered Denise silks and -velvets, anything she might like to take in no matter what quantity, -from among these enormous heaps, and that she had refused his offer by -a slight shake of her fair head.</p> - -<p>After that, he went to the other end of the basement, to pay his usual -visit to the delivery department. Interminable corridors ran along, -lighted by gas; to the right and the left, the reserves, closed in -with gratings, seemed like so many subterranean stores, a complete -commercial district, with its haberdashery, underclothing, glove, -toy and other shops, all sleeping in the gloom. Further on stood one -of the three hot-air stoves; further still, was a post of firemen -guarding the main gas-meter, enclosed in its iron cage. He found, in -the delivery department, the sorting tables already littered with heaps -of parcels, band-boxes, and cases which were continually arriving in -large hampers; and Campion, the superintendent, gave him particulars -about the current work, whilst the twenty men placed under his orders -distributed the parcels among large compartments, each of which bore -the name of a district of Paris, and whence the messengers took them up -to the vans waiting beside the foot pavement. There was a succession -of cries, names of streets and other instructions were shouted out, -quite an uproar arose, all the bustle of a mail-boat about to leave -her moorings. And he stood there for a moment, motionless, watching -this emission of goods which he had just seen the house absorb at the -opposite end of the basement: the huge current ended here; it was here -that it discharged itself into the street again after filling the tills -with gold. But his eyes became dim, this colossal business no longer -had any importance for him; he had but one idea, that of going away to -some distant land, and abandoning everything, should she persist in -saying no.</p> - -<p>Then he went upstairs, continuing his inspection, talking and -bestirring himself more and more, but without finding any respite. -On the second floor, he entered the forwarding department, seeking -quarrels and secretly exasperated with the perfect regularity of the -machine which he had himself built up. This department was the one that -was daily assuming a more considerable importance: it now occupied -two hundred employees—some of whom opened, read, and classified the -letters coming from the provinces and abroad, whilst others collected -in compartments the goods ordered by customers. And the number of -letters was increasing to such an extent that they no longer counted -them; they weighed them, receiving as much as a hundredweight a day. He -feverishly went through the three offices, questioning Levasseur, the -chief, as to the weight of the correspondence; now it was eighty, now -ninety, sometimes, on a Monday, a hundred pounds. The figure increased -daily, he ought to have been delighted. But he stood quivering amid -the noise made by a neighbouring squad of packers nailing down the -cases. It was in vain that he roamed about the building: his fixed -idea remained fast in his mind, and as his power unfolded itself -before him, as the mechanism of the business and the army of employees -passed before his gaze, he felt more deeply than ever the taunt of -his powerlessness. Orders from all Europe were flowing in, a special -post-office van was required for his correspondence; and yet she said -no, always no.</p> - -<p>He returned downstairs and visited the central cashier's office, where -four clerks guarded the two giant safes, through which eighty-eight -million francs had passed during the previous year. He glanced at the -clearing-house office which now occupied thirty-five clerks, chosen -from amongst the most trustworthy. He went into the checking office, -where twenty-five young men, junior clerks, checked the debit-notes -and calculated the salesmen's commissions. He returned to the chief -cashier's office, grew exasperated by the sight of the safes, wandered -about amidst these millions, the uselessness of which was driving him -mad. She said no, always no.</p> - -<p>And it was always and ever no, in all the departments, in the -galleries, the saloons, in every part of the establishment! He went -from the silk to the drapery department, from the linen to the lace; -he ascended to the upper floors, pausing on the hanging bridges, -prolonging his inspection with a maniacal, grievous minuteness. The -house had grown and spread beyond all bounds, he had created this -department, then that other; he governed that fresh domain, he extended -his empire into that industry, the last one conquered; and it was no, -always no, in spite of everything. His staff would now have sufficed -to people a small town: there were fifteen hundred salesmen, and a -thousand other employees of every sort, including forty inspectors and -seventy cashiers; the kitchens alone gave occupation to thirty-two men; -ten clerks were set apart for the advertising service; there were three -hundred and fifty shop messengers, all wearing livery, and twenty-four -firemen living on the premises. And the stables, royal buildings -situated in the Rue Monsigny, opposite the warehouses, accommodated -one hundred and forty-five horses, a splendid set of animals already -celebrated. The first four conveyances which had stirred up the whole -neighbourhood formerly when the house occupied only the corner of the -Place Gaillon, had gradually increased to sixty-two: small hand-trucks, -one-horse vans, and heavy two-horse ones. They were continually -scouring Paris, skilfully driven by coachmen clad in black, and bearing -hither and thither the gold and purple sign of The Ladies' Paradise. -They even went beyond the fortifications, and sped through the -suburbs; they were to be met in the hollow roads of Bicêtre and along -the banks of the Marne, along even the shady drives of the Forest of -Saint-Germain. Sometimes one would emerge from the depths of some sunny -avenue, where all was silent and deserted, the superb animals which -drew it passing by at a trot, whilst it cast the glaring advertisement -of its varnished panels upon the mysterious peacefulness of nature. -Mouret was actually thinking of sending these vehicles further still, -even into the neighbouring departments; he would have liked to hear -them rolling along every road in France, from one frontier to the -other. But he no longer even crossed the street to visit his horses, -though he was passionately fond of them. Of what good was this conquest -of the world, since it was no, always no?</p> - -<p>Nowadays of an evening, when he arrived at Lhomme's desk, he still from -force of habit glanced at the amount of the takings written on a card, -which the cashier stuck up on an iron file beside him; this figure -rarely fell below a hundred thousand francs, sometimes on big sale days -it ran up to eight and nine hundred thousand; but the amount no longer -sounded in Mouret's ears like a trumpet-blast, he regretted having -looked at it, and bitterly went his way, full of hatred and scorn of -money.</p> - -<p>But his sufferings were destined to increase, for he became jealous. -One morning, in the office, before the board-meeting began, Bourdoncle -ventured to hint that the little girl in the mantle department was -playing with him.</p> - -<p>"How so?" he asked, turning very pale.</p> - -<p>"Why yes! she has sweethearts in this very building."</p> - -<p>Mouret found strength to smile. "I don't think any more about her, my -dear fellow. You can speak freely. Who are they?"</p> - -<p>"Hutin, they say, and then a salesman in the lace department—Deloche, -that tall awkward fellow. I can't speak with certainty, never having -seen them together. But it appears that it's notorious."</p> - -<p>There was a silence. Mouret affected to arrange the papers on his table -in order to conceal the trembling of his hands. At last, he observed, -without raising his head: "One must have proofs, try and bring me some -proofs. As for myself, I assure you I don't care in the least, for I'm -quite sick of her. But we can't allow such things to go on here."</p> - -<p>"Never fear," replied Bouthemont, "you shall have proofs one of these -days. I'm keeping a good look-out."</p> - -<p>This news deprived Mouret of all rest. He had not the courage to -revert to the conversation, but lived in continual expectation of a -catastrophe, in which his heart would be crushed. And this torment -rendered him terrible; he made the whole house tremble. He now -disdained to conceal himself behind Bourdoncle, and performed the -executions in person, feeling a nervous desire for revenge, solacing -himself by abuse of his power, that power which could do nothing for -the contentment of his sole desire. Each of his inspections became a -massacre; as soon as he was seen a shudder of panic sped from counter -to counter. The dead winter season was just then approaching, and he -made a clean sweep in each department, piling up victims and hustling -them into the street. His first idea had been to dismiss Hutin and -Deloche; but he had reflected that if he did not keep them, he would -never discover anything; and the others suffered for them: the whole -staff trembled. In the evening, when he found himself alone again, -tears made his eyelids swell.</p> - -<p>One day especially terror reigned supreme. An inspector had the idea -that Mignot was stealing. There was always a number of strange-looking -girls prowling around his counter; and one of them had lately been -arrested, her hips and bosom padded with sixty pairs of gloves. From -that moment a watch was kept, and the inspector caught Mignot in the -act of facilitating the sleight of hand of a tall fair girl who had -formerly been a saleswoman at the Louvre. His plan was very simple, -he pretended to be trying some gloves on her, waited till she had -padded herself, and then conducted her to the pay-desk, where she paid -for a single pair only. Mouret happened to be there, just at that -moment. As a rule, he preferred not to mix himself up in affairs of -this sort, which were fairly frequent; for notwithstanding the regular -machine-like working, great disorder reigned in certain departments -of The Ladies' Paradise, and scarcely a week passed by without some -employee being dismissed for theft. The management preferred to hush up -such matters as far as possible, considering it undesirable to set the -police at work, and thus expose one of the fatal plague-spots of these -great bazaars. But, that day, Mouret felt a real need of venting his -anger on some one, and treated handsome Mignot with such violence, that -the latter stood there trembling with fear, his face pale and distorted.</p> - -<p>"I ought to call a policeman," cried Mouret, before all the other -salesmen. "But answer me! who is this woman? I swear I'll send for the -police commissary, if you don't tell me the truth."</p> - -<p>The woman had been taken away, and two saleswomen were searching her. -"I don't know her, sir," Mignot stammered out: "She's the one who -came——"</p> - -<p>"Don't tell lies!" interrupted Mouret, more violently still. "And -there's nobody here to warn us! You are all in the plot, on my word! -We are robbed, pillaged, plundered. It's enough to make us have the -pockets of each one searched before he leaves!"</p> - -<p>Murmurs were heard. The three or four customers buying gloves stood -looking on, frightened.</p> - -<p>"Silence!" he resumed, furiously, "or I'll clear the whole place!"</p> - -<p>However, Bourdoncle came running up, all anxiety at the idea of the -scandal. He whispered a few words in Mouret's ear, the affair was -assuming exceptional gravity; and he prevailed on him to take Mignot -into the inspectors office, a room on the ground-floor near the -entrance in the Rue Gaillon. The woman was there, quietly putting on -her things again. She had just mentioned Albert Lhomme's name. Mignot, -on again being questioned, lost his head, and began to sob; he wasn't -in fault, it was Albert who sent him these girls; he had at first -merely afforded them certain advantages, enabling them to profit by the -bargains; and at last when they took to stealing, he was already too -far compromised to report the matter. The principals now discovered -a series of extraordinary robberies; goods taken away by girls who -went into the luxurious lavatories, situated near the refreshment bar -and surrounded by evergreen plants, to hide them under their skirts; -purchases which a salesman neglected to call out at a pay-desk, when -he accompanied a customer there and the price of which he divided with -the cashier; and even false "returns," articles which employees said -had been brought back in order that they might pocket the refunded -money; without mentioning the common robberies of things which the -salesmen took away under their coats in the evening, sometimes rolled -round their bodies, and sometimes even hung down their legs. For the -last fourteen months, thanks to Mignot and other salesmen, no doubt, -whom they refused to name, this pilfering had been going on at Albert's -desk—quite an impudent trafficking in articles representing a large -amount of money which was never correctly ascertained.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the news had spread through the various departments, causing -guilty consciences to tremble, whilst the most honest quaked at thought -of the general sweep that seemed imminent. Albert had disappeared into -the inspector's office. Next his father had passed by, half choking, -his face red and showing signs of apoplexy. Then Madame Aurélie herself -was called; and came down bearing the affront with head erect, her fat -puffy countenance having the appearance of a wax mask. The explanation -lasted for some time; no one knew the exact details, but it was said -that the first-hand had slapped her son's face, whilst the worthy old -father wept, and the governor, contrary to all his elegant habits, -swore like a trooper, absolutely wanting to hand the offenders over -to justice. However, the scandal was hushed up. Mignot was the only -one dismissed there and then. Albert did not disappear till two days -later; his mother had doubtless begged that the family might not be -dishonoured by an immediate execution. Still the panic lasted several -days longer, for after this scene Mouret wandered from one end of the -establishment to the other, with a terrible expression, venting his -anger on all those who dared even to raise their eyes.</p> - -<p>"What are you doing there, sir, looking at the flies? Go and get paid!"</p> - -<p>At last, the storm burst one day on the head of Hutin himself. Favier, -now appointed second, was undermining the first-hand, in order to -dislodge him from his position. This was always the way; he addressed -crafty reports to the directors, taking advantage of every opportunity -to have the first-hand caught doing something wrong. Thus, one morning, -as Mouret was going through the silk department, he stopped short quite -surprised to see Favier altering the price tickets of a stock of black -velvet.</p> - -<p>"Why are you lowering the prices?" he asked. "Who gave you the order to -do so?"</p> - -<p>The second-hand, who was making a great fuss over this work, as if he -wished to attract the governor's attention and foresaw the result, -replied with an innocent, astonished air: "Why, Monsieur Hutin told me, -sir."</p> - -<p>"Monsieur Hutin! Where is Monsieur Hutin?"</p> - -<p>And when the latter came up from the receiving department where a -salesman had been sent to fetch him, an animated explanation ensued. -What! he undertook to lower the prices of his own accord now! What -did that mean? But in his turn he appeared greatly astonished, having -merely talked the matter over with Favier, without giving any positive -orders. The latter then assumed the sorrowful air of an employee who -finds himself obliged to contradict his superior. Yet he was quite -willing to accept the blame, if it would get the latter out of a -scrape. Things began to look very bad.</p> - -<p>"Understand, Monsieur Hutin!" cried Mouret, "I have never tolerated -these attempts at independence. We alone decide about the prices."</p> - -<p>He went on speaking in a sharp voice, and with wounding intentions, -which surprised the salesmen, for as a rule these discussions were -carried on quietly, and the affair might really have been the result -of a misunderstanding. One could divine, however, that he had some -unavowed spite to satisfy. He had at last caught that Hutin in fault, -that Hutin who was said to be Denise's sweetheart. He could now relieve -himself, by making the other feel that he, Mouret, was the master! And -he exaggerated matters, even insinuating that this reduction of price -appeared to conceal very questionable intentions.</p> - -<p>"Sir," repeated Hutin, "I meant to consult you about it. It is really -necessary, as you know, for there has been no demand for these velvets."</p> - -<p>Mouret cut him short with a final harsh remark. "Very good, sir; we -will look into the matter. But don't do such a thing again, if you -value your situation."</p> - -<p>And then he walked off. Hutin, bewildered, furious, finding no one but -Favier to confide in, swore that he would go and throw his resignation -at the brute's head. But he soon left off talking of leaving, and began -to stir up all the abominable accusations which were current amongst -the salesmen against their chiefs. And Favier, his eyes sparkling, -defended himself with a great show of sympathy. He was obliged to -reply, wasn't he? Besides, could any one have foreseen such a row over -so trifling a matter? What had come on the governor lately, that he -should be so unbearable?</p> - -<p>"We all know what's the matter with him," replied Hutin. "Is it my -fault if that little jade in the mantle department is turning his -head? My dear follow, you can see that the blow comes from there. He's -aware that she fancied me, and he doesn't like it; or perhaps it's she -herself who wants to get me dismissed because I'm in her way. But I -swear she shall hear from me, if ever she crosses my path."</p> - -<p>Two days later, as Hutin was going into the work-rooms upstairs, under -the leads, to recommend a girl of his acquaintance, he started on -perceiving Denise and Deloche leaning against a window at the end of a -passage and plunged so deeply in private conversation that they did not -even turn round. The idea of having them caught there suddenly occurred -to him, when he perceived with astonishment that Deloche was weeping. -He at once went off without making any noise; and meeting Bourdoncle -and Jouve on the stairs, told them some story about one of the -fire-extinguishers, the door of which seemed to have been torn away; -in this manner they would go upstairs and drop on to the two others. -Bourdoncle discovered them first. He stopped short, and told Jouve to -go and fetch the governor, whilst he remained there. The inspector had -to obey, though greatly annoyed at being forced to mix himself up in -such a matter.</p> - -<p>This was a lost corner of the vast world where the people of The -Ladies' Paradise bestirred themselves. You reached it by an intricate -network of stairs and passages. The work-rooms, situated in the -attics, were low sloping chambers, lighted by large windows cut in -the zinc roofing, and furnished solely with long tables and large -cast-iron stoves; and all along was a crowd of work-girls engaged on -the under-clothing, the lace, the upholstery and the dressmaking, and -living winter and summer in a stifling heat, amidst the odour peculiar -to the business. You had to skirt all these rooms, and turn to the -right after passing the dressmakers, before coming to the solitary -end of the corridor. The few customers, whom a salesman occasionally -brought here for an order, gasped for breath, tired out and frightened, -with the sensation of having turned round and round for hours, and of -being a hundred leagues above the street.</p> - -<p>Denise had often found Deloche waiting for her. As second-hand she had -charge of the arrangements between her department and the work-room -where only the models and alterations were attended to, and was -always going up and down to give the necessary orders. The young man -would watch for her and invent any pretext to run after her; and then -affected to be surprised when he met her at the work-room door. She -got to laugh about the matter and it became quite an understood thing. -The corridor ran alongside one of the cisterns, an enormous iron tank -containing twelve thousand gallons of water; and on the roof there was -another one of equal size, reached by an iron ladder. For an instant, -Deloche would stand talking, leaning one shoulder against the cistern -in the continual abandonment of his long body, bent by fatigue. A -sing-song noise of water was heard, a mysterious noise, the musical -vibration of which the iron tank ever retained. Despite the solitude, -Denise would at times turn round anxiously, thinking, she had seen a -shadow pass on the bare, pale yellow walls. But the window would soon -attract them, they would lean against it, and forget themselves in a -pleasant gossip, in endless souvenirs of their native place. Below them -extended the immense glass roof of the central gallery, a lake of glass -bounded by the distant housetops, as by a rocky coast. Beyond, they saw -nothing but the sky, a sheet of sky, which cast in the sleeping water -of the glass work a reflection of the flight of its clouds and its soft -azure.</p> - -<p>It so happened that Deloche was that day speaking of Valognes. "I was -six years old; my mother used to take me to Valognes market in a cart," -he said. "You know it's ten miles away; we had to leave Briquebec at -five o'clock. It's a fine country down our way. Do you know it?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes," replied Denise, slowly, her glances wandering far away. -"I was there once, but was very little then. Roads with grass on each -side, eh? and now and again sheep browsing in couples, dragging their -clog along by the rope." She stopped, then resumed with a vague smile: -"Our roads run for miles as straight as arrows between rows of trees -which afford some shade. We have meadows surrounded by hedges taller -than I am, where there are horses and cows grazing. We have a little -river too, and the water is very cold, under the brushwood, in a spot I -well know."</p> - -<p>"It is the same with us, exactly!" cried Deloche, delighted.</p> - -<p>"There's grass everywhere, each one encloses his plot with thorns -and elms, and is at once at home; and it's quite green, a green far -different to what we see in Paris. Dear me! how I've played in the -hollow road, on the left, coming down from the mill!"</p> - -<p>Their voices died away, they remained with their eyes fixed, lost on -the sunny lake of the glass work. A mirage rose up before them from -that blinding water, they beheld an endless succession of meadows, -the Cotentin country steeped in the breath of the ocean, bathed in a -luminous vapour, which blurred the horizon with the delicate grey of a -water-colour. Below them, beneath the colossal iron framework, in the -silk hall, was the roar of business, the trepidation of the machine -at work; the entire house vibrated with the tramping of the crowd, -the bustle of the salesmen, the life of the thirty thousand persons -hurtling there; and they, carried away by their dreams, thought they -could hear the wind passing over the grass and shaking the tall trees, -as they detected this deep dull clamour with which the roofs were -resounding.</p> - -<p>"Ah! Mademoiselle Denise," stammered Deloche, "why aren't you kinder -to me? I love you so much!" Tears had come into his eyes, and as she -signed to him to stop, he continued quickly: "No—let me tell you these -things once more. We should get on so well together! People always find -something to talk about when they come from the same part."</p> - -<p>He was choking, and she was at last able to say kindly: "You're -not reasonable; you promised me never to speak of that again. It's -impossible. I have great friendship for you, because you're a nice -fellow; but I wish to remain free."</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes. I know," he replied in a broken voice, "you don't love -me. Oh! you may say so, I quite understand it. There's nothing in me -to make you love me. Listen, I've only had one sweet moment in my -life, and that was when I met you at Joinville, do you remember? For -a moment, under the trees, when it was so dark, I thought your arm -trembled, and was stupid enough to imagine——"</p> - -<p>But she again interrupted him. Her quick ear had just detected the -sound of Bourdoncle's and Jouve's steps at the end of the corridor.</p> - -<p>"Hark, there's some one coming."</p> - -<p>"No," said he, preventing her from leaving the window, "it's in the -cistern: all sorts of extraordinary noises come from it, as if there -were some one inside."</p> - -<p>And then he continued his timid caressing complaints. She was no longer -listening to him, however. Rocked into a dreamy mood by his declaration -of love, her eyes wandering over the roofs of The Ladies' Paradise. To -the right and the left of the large glazed gallery, other galleries and -other halls were glistening in the sunshine, between the housetops, -pierced with garret windows and running along symmetrically, like the -wings of a barracks. Metal ladders and bridges rose on all sides, -describing a lacework of iron in the air; whilst the kitchen chimney -belched forth as much smoke as a factory, and the great square cistern, -supported aloft by cast-iron pillars, assumed the strange silhouette -of some barbarous structure erected at this height by the pride of one -man. In the distance, Paris roared.</p> - -<p>When Denise awoke from this dreamy contemplation of space and the -summits of The Ladies' Paradise, where her thoughts floated as in a -vast solitude, she found that Deloche had caught hold of her hand. And -as he appeared so woe-begone she did not draw it away.</p> - -<p>"Forgive me," he murmured. "It's all over now; I should be too -miserable if you punished me by withdrawing your friendship. I -assure you I intended to say something else. Yes, I had determined -to understand the situation and be very good." Then his tears again -began to flow and he tried to steady his voice. "For I know my lot in -life. It is too late for my luck to turn. Beaten at home, beaten in -Paris, beaten everywhere! I've now been here four years and am still -the last in the department. So I wanted to tell you not to trouble on -my account. I won't annoy you any more. Try to be happy, love some one -else; yes, that would really be a pleasure for me. If you are happy, I -shall be happy too. That will be my happiness."</p> - -<p>He could say no more. As if to seal his promise he raised the young -girl's hand to his lips—kissing it with the humble kiss of a slave. -She was deeply affected, and said simply, in a tender, sisterly tone, -which softened somewhat the pity of the words: "My poor lad!"</p> - -<p>But they started, and turned round; Mouret was standing before them.</p> - -<p>For the last ten minutes, Jouve had been searching all over the place -for the governor; the latter, however, was looking at the building of -the new façade in the Rue du Dix-Décembre. He spent long hours there -every day, trying to interest himself in this work, of which he had -so long dreamed. There, amidst masons laying the huge corner-stones, -and engineers setting up the great iron framework, he found a refuge -against his torments. The façade already appeared above the level of -the street; and indications of the spacious porch, and the windows of -the first storey, a palace-like development in a crude state could be -seen. Mouret scaled the ladders, discussing with the architect the -ornamentation which was to be something quite new, scrambled over the -heaps of brick and iron, and even went down into the cellars; and the -roar of the steam-engine, the tic-tac of the trowels, the loud noise -of the hammers and the clamour of the army of workmen in this immense -cage surrounded by sound-reëchoing planks, really diverted him for an -instant. He would come out white with plaster, black with iron-filings, -his feet splashed by the water from the pumps but nevertheless so far -from being cured that his anguish returned and his heart beat more -loudly than ever, as the uproar of the works died away behind him. -It so happened, on the day in question, that a slight diversion had -brought back his gaiety: he had become deeply interested in an album -of drawings of the mosaics and enamelled terra-cotta which were to -decorate the friezes, when Jouve, out of breath, annoyed at being -obliged to soil his frock coat amongst all the building materials came -up to fetch him. At first Mouret cried out that they must wait; but, at -a word spoken in an undertone by the inspector, he immediately followed -him, trembling and again mastered by his passion. Nothing else existed, -the façade crumbled away before being built: what was the use of that -supreme triumph of his pride, if the mere name of a woman whispered in -his ear tortured him to this extent!</p> - -<p>Upstairs, Bourdoncle and Jouve thought it prudent to vanish. Deloche -had hastened away; Denise, paler than usual, alone remained face to -face with Mouret, looking straight into his eyes.</p> - -<p>"Have the goodness to follow me, mademoiselle," he said in a harsh -voice.</p> - -<p>She followed him, they descended the two storeys, and crossed the -furniture and carpet departments without saying a word. When he arrived -at his office, he opened the door wide, saying, "Walk in, mademoiselle."</p> - -<p>And, closing the door, he went to his table. The director's new office -was fitted up more luxuriously than the old one; the rep hangings had -been replaced by velvet ones, and a book-case, inlaid with ivory, -occupied one whole side; but on the walls there was still no other -picture than the portrait of Madame Hédouin, a young woman with a calm -handsome face, smiling in a gilded frame.</p> - -<p>"Mademoiselle," he said at last, trying to maintain a cold severe air, -"there are certain things that we cannot tolerate. Good conduct is -absolutely necessary here."</p> - -<p>He stopped, choosing his words, in order not to yield to the furious -anger which was rising within him. What! it was that fellow she loved, -that wretched salesman, the laughing-stock of his counter! It was -the humblest, the most awkward of all that she preferred to him, the -master! for he had seen them, she leaving her hand in his, and he -covering that hand with kisses.</p> - -<p>"I've been very good to you, mademoiselle," continued he, making a -fresh effort. "I little expected to be rewarded in this way."</p> - -<p>Denise, immediately on entering, had been attracted by Madame -Hédouin's portrait; and, notwithstanding her great trouble, was still -pre-occupied by it. Every time she came into the director's office her -eyes were sure to meet those of that painted lady. As a rule she was -almost afraid of her, although she knew her to have been very good. -This time, however, she felt her to be a kind of protection.</p> - -<p>"You are right, sir," she said, softly, "I was wrong to stop and talk, -and I beg your pardon for doing so. This young man comes from my own -part of the country."</p> - -<p>"I'll dismiss him!" cried Mouret, putting all his suffering into this -furious cry.</p> - -<p>And, completely overcome, entirely forgetting his position of director -lecturing a saleswoman guilty of an infraction of the regulations, -he broke into a torrent of violent words. Had she no shame in her? a -young girl like her to fall in love with such a being! and he even made -most atrocious accusations, introducing Hutin's name and the names of -others into the affair, with such a flood of words, that she could not -even defend herself. But he would make a clean sweep, and kick them -all out! The explanation he had resolved on, when following Jouve, had -degenerated into a violent scene of jealousy.</p> - -<p>"Yes, your lovers! They told me about it, and I was stupid enough to -doubt it. But I was the only one who did! I was the only one!"</p> - -<p>Choking and bewildered, Denise stood listening to these frightful -charges, which she had not at first understood. Did he really suppose -her to be as bad as that? At another remark, harsher than all the rest, -she silently turned towards the door. And, as he made a movement to -stop her, she said:</p> - -<p>"Let me alone, sir, I'm going away. If you think me what you say, I -will not remain in the house another second."</p> - -<p>But he rushed in front of the door, exclaiming: "Why don't you defend -yourself? Say something!"</p> - -<p>She stood there very stiff, maintaining an icy silence. For a long -time he pressed her with questions, with a growing anxiety; and the -mute dignity of this innocent girl once more seemed to be the artful -calculation of a woman learned in all the tactics of passion. Had she -desired it, which she did not, she could not have played a game better -calculated to bring him to her feet, tortured by doubt, desirous of -being convinced.</p> - -<p>"Come, you say he is from your part of the country? Perhaps you've met -there formerly. Swear that there has been nothing between you and this -fellow."</p> - -<p>And as she obstinately remained silent, as if still wishing to open -the door and go away, he completely lost his head, and gave way to a -supreme explosion of grief.</p> - -<p>"Good heavens! I love you! I love you! Why do you delight in tormenting -me like this? You can see that nothing else exists for me, that the -people I speak about only touch me through you, that you alone can -occupy my thoughts. Thinking you were jealous, I gave up all my -pleasures. You were told I had mistresses; well! I have them no longer; -I hardly set foot outside. Did I not prefer you at that lady's house? -have I not quarrelled with her in order to belong solely to you? And -I am still waiting for a word of thanks, a little gratitude. And if -you fear that I should return to her, you may feel quite easy: she is -avenging herself by helping one of our former salesmen to found a rival -establishment. Tell me, must I go on my knees to touch your heart?"</p> - -<p>He had come to this. He, who did not tolerate the slightest peccadillo -among the shopwomen, who turned them out for the least caprice, -found himself reduced to imploring one of them not to go away, not -to abandon him in his misery! He held the door against her, ready to -forgive her everything, to shut his eyes, if she merely deigned to -lie. And he spoke the truth, he had quite reformed; he had long since -given up Clara and had ceased to visit at Madame Desforges's house, -where Bouthemont now reigned supreme, pending the opening of the -new establishment, The Four Seasons, which was already filling the -newspapers with its advertisements.</p> - -<p>"Tell me, must I go on my knees?" he repeated, almost choked by -suppressed tears.</p> - -<p>She signed to him to cease speaking, herself quite unable to conceal -her emotion, deeply affected by his suffering passion. "You are wrong, -sir, to agitate yourself in this way," she at last replied. "I assure -you that all these wicked reports are untrue. That poor fellow you saw -just now is no more guilty than I am."</p> - -<p>She said this with her brave, frank air, looking with her bright eyes -straight into his face.</p> - -<p>"Very good, I believe you," he murmured. "I'll not dismiss any of your -comrades, since you take all these people under your protection. But -why, then, do you repulse me, if you love no one else?"</p> - -<p>A sudden constraint, an anxious bashfulness came upon the young girl.</p> - -<p>"You love some one, do you not?" he resumed, in a trembling voice. "Oh! -you may speak out; I have no claim on your affections. Do you love any -one?"</p> - -<p>She turned very red, her heart was in her mouth, and she felt all -falsehood impossible in the presence of the emotion which was betraying -her, the repugnance for lying which made the truth appear in her face -in spite of all.</p> - -<p>"Yes," she at last confessed, feebly. "But I beg you to let me go, sir, -you are torturing me."</p> - -<p>She was now suffering in her turn. Was it not enough to have to defend -herself against him? Must she even fight against herself, against the -gust of tenderness which sometimes took away all her courage? When -he spoke to her like this, when she saw him such a prey to emotion, -so overcome, she hardly knew why she still refused; and it was only -afterwards that, in the depths of her healthy, girlish nature, she -found the pride and prudence which maintained her intact in her -virtuous resolutions.</p> - -<p>Mouret gave way to a gesture of gloomy discouragement. He could not -understand her. He turned towards his table, took up some papers and -then at once laid them down again, saying: "I will detain you no -longer, mademoiselle; I cannot keep you against your will."</p> - -<p>"But I don't wish to go away," replied she, smiling. "If you believe me -to be innocent, I will remain. One ought always to believe a woman to -be virtuous, sir. There are numbers who are so, I assure you."</p> - -<p>Denise had involuntarily raised her eyes towards Madame Hédouin's -portrait; that lady so sensible and so beautiful, whose blood, they -said, had brought good fortune to the house. Mouret followed the glance -with a start, for he thought he could hear his dead wife pronounce that -phrase, one of her own sayings which he recognised. And it was like -a resurrection, he discovered in Denise the good sense, the mental -equilibrium of her whom he had lost, even down to her gentle voice, -sparing of useless words. He was struck by the resemblance, and it -rendered him sadder still.</p> - -<p>"You know I am yours," he murmured in conclusion. "Do what you like -with me."</p> - -<p>Then she resumed gaily: "That is right, sir. The advice of a woman, -however humble she may be, is always worth listening to when she has a -little intelligence. If you put yourself in my hands, you may be sure -I'll make nothing but a good man of you!"</p> - -<p>She smiled, with that simple unassuming air which possessed such a -charm. He also smiled in a feeble way, and escorted her as far as the -door, as he might have done with a lady.</p> - -<p>The next day Denise was appointed first-hand. The dress and costume -department was divided; the management creating especially for her -benefit a children's costume department, which was installed near that -of the cloaks and mantles. Ever since her son's dismissal, Madame -Aurélie had been trembling, for she found the directors cooling towards -her, and also observed the young woman's power increasing daily. Would -they not shortly take advantage of some pretext or other and sacrifice -her in favour of Denise? Her imperial countenance, puffed up with fat, -seemed to have grown thinner from the shame which now stained the -Lhomme dynasty; and she made a show of going away every evening on her -husband's arm, for they had been brought nearer together by misfortune, -and vaguely felt that the evil came from the disorder of their home; -whilst the poor old man, more affected than her, a prey as he was to a -sickly fear that he might himself be suspected of robbery, would count -the receipts twice over with a great deal of noise, performing miracles -the while with his injured arm. Accordingly when Madame Aurélie saw -Denise appointed first-hand of the children's costume department, she -experienced such delight that she paraded the most affectionate feeling -towards her, being indeed really grateful to her for not having taken -her own place. And so she overwhelmed her with attentions, treating her -as an equal, often going to talk to her in the neighbouring department, -with a stately air, like a queen-mother paying a visit to a young queen.</p> - -<p>In fact, Denise was now at the summit. Her appointment as first-hand -had destroyed the last resistance. If some still babbled, from that -itching of the tongue which infects every assemblage of men and -women, all nevertheless bowed very low before her face. Marguerite, -now second-hand, was full of praise for her. Clara, herself, inspired -with a secret respect for this good fortune, which she felt herself -incapable of achieving, bowed her head. But Denise's victory was still -more complete over the gentlemen; over Jouve, who now almost bent -double whenever he addressed her; over Hutin, seized with anxiety on -feeling his position giving way under him; and over Bourdoncle, at -last reduced to powerlessness. When the latter saw her come out of the -director's office, smiling, with her quiet air; and when on the morrow -Mouret had insisted on the board creating the new department, he had -yielded, vanquished by his terror of woman. He had always thus given -in to Mouret, recognising him to be the master, notwithstanding his -escapades and idiotic love affairs. This time the woman had proved the -stronger, and he was expecting to be swept away by the disaster.</p> - -<p>Yet Denise bore her triumph in a quiet, charming manner, touched by -these marks of consideration, and desirous of interpreting them as -sympathy for the miseries of her <i>débuts</i> and the final success of -her patient courage. Thus it was with laughing joy that she received -the slightest tokens of friendship, and this caused her to be really -loved by some: she was so kind, sympathetic, and full of affection. -The only person for whom she still showed an invincible repugnance was -Clara, for she had learned that this girl had amused herself by leading -Colomban astray, even as she had said she would do, for a joke; and he, -carried away by his passion, was now becoming more dissipated every -day, whilst poor Geneviève was slowly dying. The affair was talked of -at The Ladies' Paradise, and thought very droll there.</p> - -<p>But this trouble, the only one she had outside, did not in any way -change Denise's equable temper. It was especially in her department -that she was seen at her best, in the midst of her little world of -babies of all ages. She was passionately fond of children, and could -not have been placed in a better position. Sometimes there were fully -fifty little girls and as many boys there, quite a turbulent school, -all agog with the desires of budding coquetry. The mothers completely -lost their heads. She, conciliatory and smiling, had the little ones -placed in a row, on chairs; and when among the number there happened -to be a rosy-cheeked little angel, whose pretty face tempted her, she -would insist on serving her herself, bringing the dress and trying it -on the child's dimpled shoulders, with the tender precaution of an -elder sister. Bursts of clear laughter rang out, faint cries of ecstasy -were raised amidst the scolding voices of the mothers. Sometimes a -little girl, nine or ten years old, already a grand lady in her own -estimation, would when trying on a cloth jacket stand studying it -before a glass, now and again turning round with an absorbed air, -while her eyes sparkled with the desire to please. The counters were -littered with unpacked goods, dresses in pink and blue Eastern cotton -for children of from one to five years old; sailor costumes in blue -"zephyr" with plaited skirts and blouses trimmed with cambric; Louis -XV. costumes, mantles, jackets; a medley of little garments, stiff in -their infantile grace, something like the contents of the cloak-room -of a band of big dolls, taken out of the wardrobes and given over to -pillage. Denise always had a few sweets in her pockets to appease the -tears of some youngster in despair at not being able to carry off a -pair of red breeches; and she lived there amongst these little ones as -in her own family, feeling quite young again herself from the contact -of all the innocence and freshness incessantly renewed around her -skirts.</p> - -<p>She now at times had long friendly talks with Mouret. Whenever she -went to the office to take orders or furnish information, he would -keep her chatting, enjoying the sound of her voice. It was what she -laughingly called "making a good man of him." In her prudent, cautious -Norman brain there sprang up all sorts of projects, ideas about the new -style of business at which she had already ventured to hint when at -Robineau's, and some of which she had expressed on the evening of their -charming walk in the Tuileries gardens. She could not be occupied in -any matter or see any work going on, without being moved by a desire to -introduce some improvement into the mechanism. Thus, since her entry -into The Ladies' Paradise, she had been particularly pained by the -precarious position of the employees; the sudden dismissals shocked -her, she thought them iniquitous and stupid, hurtful to all, to the -house as much as the staff. Her former sufferings were still fresh in -her mind, and her heart filled with pity every time she saw a new-comer -with feet bruised and eyes dim with tears, dragging her misery along -in her silk dress, amidst the spiteful persecution of the older -hands. This dog's life made the best of them bad; and the sad work of -destruction commenced: they were all devoured by the business before -the age of forty, often disappearing, falling into unknown depths, a -great many dying in harness, some of consumption and exhaustion, others -of fatigue and bad air, whilst a few were thrown on the street, and -the happiest married and buried themselves in some little provincial -shop. Was this frightful consumption of human life for which the big -shops were responsible every year, right and just? And she pleaded the -cause of the colossal machine's gearing not from sentimental reasons, -but by arguments appealing to the very interests of the employers. To -make a machine solid and strong, it is necessary to use good iron; if -the iron breaks or is broken, a stoppage of work, repeated expenses of -restarting, quite a loss of power, ensue.</p> - -<p>Sometimes she would become quite animated, and picture an immense -ideal bazaar, the phalansterium of modern commerce, in which each -would secure his exact share of profits, according to his merits, -with a certainty of the future, assured to him by contract. Mouret -would make merry over this, notwithstanding his fever. He accused -her of socialism, embarrassed her by pointing out the difficulties -of carrying out these schemes; for she spoke in the simplicity of -her soul, bravely trusting in the future, whenever she perceived a -dangerous gap underlying her tender-hearted plans. Nevertheless he -was shaken, captivated by her young voice which still quivered at the -thought of the hardships she had undergone, and was so instinct with -earnestness as she pointed out reforms which would tend to consolidate -the house; and even while joking with her he listened. Thus the -salesmen's positions were gradually improved, the wholesale dismissals -were replaced by a system of holidays granted during the dead seasons, -and it was decided to found a sort of benefit club which would protect -the employees against slack times and ensure them a pension. It was the -embryo of the vast trades' unions of the twentieth century.</p> - -<p>Moreover Denise did not confine her attention solely to the healing -of the wounds from which she had herself bled; she conceived various -delicate feminine ideas with which she prompted Mouret and which -delighted the customers. She also made Lhomme happy by supporting a -scheme he had long entertained, that of creating a band of musicians, -of which all the members should be chosen from amongst the staff. -Three months later Lhomme had a hundred and twenty musicians under his -direction, and the dream of his whole life was realized. And a grand -fête was then given on the premises, a concert and a ball, to introduce -the band of The Ladies' Paradise to the customers and the whole -world. The newspapers took the matter up, Bourdoncle himself, though -staggered by these innovations, was obliged to bow before the immense -advertisement. Afterwards came the establishment of a recreation room -for the men, with two billiard tables and backgammon and chess boards. -Then classes were held in the house of an evening; lessons were given -in English and German, in grammar, arithmetic, and geography; at -last too there were even riding and fencing lessons. A library was -also formed, ten thousand volumes were placed at the disposal of the -employees. And afterwards came a resident doctor, giving consultations -gratis; together with baths, and hair-dressing and refreshment saloons. -Every want of life was provided for, everything—board, lodging, -clothing and education—was to be obtained without going out of doors. -There, in the very heart of Paris, now all agog with the clatter of -this working city which was springing up so vigorously amidst the ruins -of the olden streets, at last opened to the sunshine, The Ladies' -Paradise sufficed entirely for all its own wants and pleasures.</p> - -<p>Then a further change of opinion took place in Denise's favour. As -Bourdoncle, vanquished, repeated with despair to his friends that -he would himself give a great deal to prevail upon Denise to accept -Mouret, it was concluded that she still refused to do so, and that her -all-powerfulness resulted from her refusal. From that moment she became -popular. They knew for what indulgences they were indebted to her, and -they admired her for the strength of her will. There, at all events, -was one who could master the governor, who avenged all the others, and -knew how to get something more than promises out of him! So she had -come at last, she who caused him to treat the poor and humble with a -little consideration! When she passed through the departments, with her -delicate, self-willed head, her gentle, invincible air, the salesmen -smiled at her, felt proud of her, and would willingly have exhibited -her to the crowd. She, in her happiness, allowed herself to be carried -along by this increasing sympathy. But was it all possible? She again -saw herself arriving in a shabby dress, frightened, lost amidst the -mechanism of the terrible machine; for a long time she had felt she was -nothing, barely a grain of millet beneath the millstones which were -crushing a whole world; and now to-day she was the very soul of this -world, she alone was of any consequence, able at a word to increase or -slacken the pace of the colossus lying at her feet. And yet she had -not wished for these things, she had simply presented herself, without -calculation, possessed of naught but the charm of her sweetness. Her -sovereignty sometimes caused her an uneasy surprise: why did they all -obey her? she was not pretty, she did nothing wrong. Then she smiled, -her heart at rest, feeling within herself naught but goodness and -prudence, a love of truth and logic which constituted all her strength.</p> - -<p>One of Denise's greatest joys at this time was to be able to assist -Pauline. The latter, now about to become a mother, was trembling, for -she knew that two other saleswomen similarly circumstanced had been -sent away. The principals did not tolerate maternity; they occasionally -allowed marriage, but would admit of no children. Pauline, it was -true, had her husband in the house; but still she felt anxious, and in -order to postpone a probable dismissal, sought to conceal her state -as long as she could. But Bourdoncle had observed that her complexion -was getting very pale and one morning while he was standing near her, -in the under-linen department, a messenger, taking away a bundle, ran -against her with such force that she cried out with pain. Bourdoncle -immediately took her on one side, made her confess, and submitted -the question of her dismissal to the board, under the pretext that -she was in need of country air. Mouret, who was not at the meeting, -could only give his opinion in the evening. But Denise having had time -to interpose, he closed Bourdoncle's mouth, in the interests of the -establishment itself. Did they wish to wound the feelings of all the -mothers and young married women amongst their customers? And so it was -decided, with great solemnity, that every married saleswoman should, -whenever necessary, be sent to a special midwife's at the Paradise's -expense.</p> - -<p>The next day when Denise went up to the infirmary to see Pauline, who -had been obliged to take to her bed on account of the blow she had -received, the latter kissed her heartily on both cheeks. "How kind you -are! Had it not been for you I should have been turned away. Pray don't -be anxious about me, the doctor says it's nothing."</p> - -<p>Baugé, who had slipped away from his department, was also there, on the -other side of the bed. He likewise stammered his thanks, disturbed in -the presence of Denise, whom he now treated as an important person of a -superior class. Ah! if he heard any more unkind remarks about her, he -would soon close the mouths of the jealous ones! But Pauline sent him -away with a good-natured shrug of the shoulders.</p> - -<p>"My poor dear, you're always saying something stupid. Leave us to talk -together."</p> - -<p>The infirmary was a long, light room, containing twelve beds with -white curtains. Those who did not wish to go home to their families -were nursed there. However, on the day in question, Pauline was the -only occupant. Her bed was near one of the large windows which looked -on to the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin. And amidst the white hangings, -in the calm atmosphere perfumed with a faint odour of lavender, they -immediately began to exchange confidences in soft, affectionate -whispers.</p> - -<p>"So he does just what you wish him to, all the same," said Pauline. -"How cruel you are, to make him suffer so! Come, just explain it to me, -now that I've ventured to approach the subject. Do you detest him?"</p> - -<p>Pauline had retained hold of Denise's hand, as the latter sat near the -bed, with her elbow resting on the bolster; and Denise was overcome by -sudden emotion. Her cheeks flushed red and, in a momentary weakness, -her secret escaped her at this direct and unexpected question.</p> - -<p>"I love him!" she murmured, burying her head in the pillow.</p> - -<p>Pauline was astonished. "What! you love him?" And, after a pause, she -asked: "So it's all to make him marry you?"</p> - -<p>But at this, the young girl sprang up, quite confused: "Marry me! Oh, -no! Oh! I assure you that I have never wished for anything of the kind! -No, never has such an idea entered my head; and you know what a horror -I have of all falsehood!"</p> - -<p>"Well, dear," resumed Pauline, kindly, "you couldn't have acted -otherwise, if such had been your intention. All this must come to an -end, and it is very certain that it can only finish by a marriage so -far as you are concerned. I must tell you that everybody here has the -same idea: yes, they are convinced that you are riding the high horse, -in order to make him take you to church. Dear me! what a funny girl you -are!"</p> - -<p>And then she had to console Denise, who had again sunk down with her -head on the bolster, sobbing and declaring that she would certainly go -away, since they attributed to her all sorts of things that had never -even crossed her mind. No doubt, when a man loved a woman he ought to -marry her. But she asked for nothing, she had made no calculations, she -simply begged that she might be allowed to live quietly, with her joys -and sorrows, like other people. Yes, she would go away.</p> - -<p>At the same moment Mouret was crossing the premises below, seeking to -forget his thoughts by visiting the works once more. Several months -had elapsed, the façade now reared its monumental proportions behind -the vast hoarding which concealed it from the public. Quite an army of -decorators, marble-cutters, mosaic-workers, and others, were at work. -The central group above the door was being gilded, whilst the pedestals -destined to support statues of the manufacturing cities of France, were -being fixed on the acroteria. Along the Rue du Dix-Décembre, lately -opened to the public, a crowd of idlers now stood from morning till -night, looking up, seeing nothing, but nevertheless interested in the -marvels related of this façade, the inauguration of which was expected -to revolutionize Paris. And it was beside this new building full of the -fever of work, amidst the artists putting the finishing touches to the -realization of his dream as commenced by the masons, that Mouret more -bitterly than ever realized the vanity of his fortune. The thought of -Denise suddenly came upon him, that thought which incessantly pierced -him with a flame, like the shooting of an incurable pain. And then he -ran away, unable to find a word of satisfaction, fearful lest he should -display his tears, and leaving behind him the disgust of triumph. That -façade, which was at last erected, seemed but trifling in his eyes, -very much like one of those walls of sand that children build, and -it might have been prolonged from one end of the city to the other, -elevated to the starry sky and yet would not have filled the void of -his heart, which only the "yes" of a mere child could satisfy.</p> - -<p>When Mouret returned to his office he was almost choking with sobs. -What did she want? He dared not offer her money now; but the confused -idea of marriage presented itself amidst his revolts. And, in the -debility of his powerlessness, his tears began to flow. He was indeed -very unhappy.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</a></h4> - - -<p>One morning in November, Denise was giving her first orders in the -department when the Baudus' servant came to tell her that Mademoiselle -Geneviève had passed a very bad night, and wished to see her -immediately. For some time the poor girl had been getting weaker and -weaker, and had been obliged to take to her bed two days before.</p> - -<p>"Say I am coming at once," replied Denise, feeling very anxious.</p> - -<p>The blow which was finishing Geneviève was Colomban's sudden -disappearance. At first, chaffed by Clara, he had grown very -dissipated; then, yielding to the wild desires which at times master -sly, chaste men, he had become her obedient slave; and one Monday -instead of returning to the shop had sent a farewell letter to Baudu, -written in the studied terms of one who is about to commit suicide. -Perhaps, at the bottom of this freak, there was also the calculating -craft of a man delighted at escaping from a disastrous marriage. The -business was in as bad a way as his betrothed, so the moment was -a propitious one for breaking with them both. And every one cited -Colomban as an unfortunate victim of love.</p> - -<p>When Denise reached The Old Elbeuf, Madame Baudu, with her small white -face consumed by anæmia, was there alone, sitting motionless behind -the pay-desk, and watching over the silence and emptiness of the shop. -There was no assistant now. The servant dusted the shelves; and it was -even a question of replacing her by a charwoman. A dreary cold hung -about the ceiling; hours passed by without a customer coming to disturb -the gloom, and the goods, no longer handled, became more and more musty -every day.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter?" asked Denise, anxiously. "Is Geneviève in danger?"</p> - -<p>Madame Baudu did not at first reply. Her eyes filled with tears. Then -suddenly she stammered: "I don't know; they don't tell me anything. Ah, -it's all over, it's all over."</p> - -<p>And she cast a dim glance round the dark shop, as if she felt that her -daughter and The Old Elbeuf were disappearing together. The seventy -thousand francs, produced by the sale of their Rambouillet property, -had in less than two years melted away in the abyss of competition. -In order to struggle against The Ladies' Paradise, which now kept -men's cloths, even materials for hunting, shooting, and livery suits, -the draper had made considerable sacrifices. But at last he had been -altogether crushed by the swan-skin cloths and the flannels sold by -his rival, an assortment that had not its equal in the market. Little -by little his debts had increased, and, as a last resource, he had -resolved to mortgage the old building in the Rue de la Michodière, -where Finet, their ancestor, had founded the business. And it was now -only a question of days, the crumbling away had nearly finished, the -very ceilings seemed to be falling and turning into dust, even an old -worm-eaten structure is carried away by the wind.</p> - -<p>"Your uncle is upstairs," resumed Madame Baudu in her broken voice. "We -each stay with her in turn for a couple of hours. Some one must stay -here; oh! but only as a precaution, for to tell the truth——"</p> - -<p>Her gesture finished the phrase. They would have put the shutters up -had it not been for their old commercial pride, which still kept them -erect in the presence of the neighbours.</p> - -<p>"Well, I'll go up, aunt," said Denise, whose heart ached amidst the -resigned despair that even the pieces of cloth themselves exhaled.</p> - -<p>"Yes, go upstairs quick, my girl. She's expecting you, she's been -asking for you all night. She had something to tell you."</p> - -<p>But just at that moment Baudu came down. Bile had now given his yellow -face a greenish hue, and his eyes were bloodshot. He was still walking -with the muffled tread with which he had quitted the sick room, and -murmured, as though he might be overheard upstairs, "She's asleep."</p> - -<p>Then, thoroughly worn out, he sat down on a chair, mopping his forehead -with a mechanical gesture and puffing like a man who has just finished -some hard work. A pause ensued, but at last he said to Denise: "You'll -see her presently. When she is sleeping, she seems to us to be all -right again."</p> - -<p>Again did silence fall. Face to face, the father and mother stood -looking at one another. Then, in a low voice he went over his grief -again, though without naming any one or addressing any one directly: -"With my head on the block, I wouldn't have believed it! He was the -last one, I had brought him up as a son. If any one had come and said -to me, 'They'll take him away from you as well; you'll see him fall,' -I should have replied, 'It's impossible, that can't happen as long as -there's a God on high.' But he has fallen all the same! Ah! the poor -fellow, he who was so well up in the business, who had all my ideas! -And all through a young she-ape, a mere dummy fit for a window! No! -really, it's enough to drive one mad!"</p> - -<p>He shook his head, with his half-closed eyes cast upon the damp floor -which the tread of generations of customers had worn. Then he continued -in a lower voice, "Shall I tell you? Well, there are moments when I -feel myself the most culpable of all in our misfortune. Yes, it's my -fault if our poor girl is lying upstairs devoured by fever. Ought I not -to have married them at once, without yielding to my stupid pride, my -obstinacy in refusing to leave them the business in a less prosperous -state than it had been before? Had I done that she would now have the -man she loved, and perhaps their youthful strength united would have -accomplished the miracle that I have failed to work. But I am an old -fool, and saw through nothing; I didn't know that people fell ill over -such things. Really, he was an extraordinary fellow: he had such a gift -for business, and such probity, such simplicity of conduct, he was so -orderly in every way—in short, my pupil."</p> - -<p>He raised his head, still defending his ideas, in the person of the -shopman who had betrayed him. Denise, however, could not bear to hear -him accuse himself, and carried away by her emotion, on seeing him so -humble, with his eyes full of tears, he who used formerly to reign -there as an absolute and scolding master, she told him everything.</p> - -<p>"Uncle, pray don't excuse him," said she. "He never loved Geneviève, he -would have run away sooner if you had tried to hasten the marriage. I -have spoken to him myself about it; he was perfectly well aware that my -poor cousin was suffering on his account, and yet you see that did not -prevent him from leaving. Ask aunt."</p> - -<p>Without opening her lips, Madame Baudu confirmed these words by a -nod. The draper turned paler still, blinded by his tears. And then he -stammered out: "It must have been in the blood, his father died last -year through having led a dissolute life."</p> - -<p>And once more he looked round the dim shop, his eyes wandering from the -empty counters to the full shelves and then resting on Madame Baudu, -who was still sitting erect at the pay-desk, waiting in vain for the -customers who did not come.</p> - -<p>"Well," said he, "it's all over. They've ruined our business, and now -one of their hussies is killing our daughter."</p> - -<p>No one spoke. The rolling of passing vehicles, which occasionally -shook the floor, seemed like a funereal beating of drums in the still -air, so stuffy under the low ceiling. But suddenly, amidst this gloomy -sadness peculiar to old expiring shops, several dull knocks were heard -proceeding from somewhere in the house. It was Geneviève, who had just -awoke, and was knocking with a stick they had left beside her.</p> - -<p>"Let's go up at once," said Baudu, rising with a start. "And try to be -cheerful, she mustn't know."</p> - -<p>He himself as he went upstairs rubbed his eyes, in order to remove the -traces of his tears. As soon as he opened the door, on the first floor, -they heard a frightened, feeble voice crying: "Oh, I don't like to be -left alone. Don't leave me; I'm afraid to be left alone." However, when -she perceived Denise, Geneviève became calmer, and smiled joyfully. -"You've come, then! How I've been longing to see you since yesterday! I -thought you also had abandoned me!"</p> - -<p>It was a piteous spectacle. The young woman's room, a little room into -which came a livid light, looked out on to the yard. At first her -parents had put her in their room, in the front part of the house; but -the sight of The Ladies' Paradise opposite affected her so deeply, that -they had been obliged to bring her back to her own again. And there she -lay, so very thin under the bed-clothes, that you could hardly divine -the form and existence of a human body. Her skinny arms, consumed by -the burning fever of consumption, were in a perpetual movement of -anxious, unconscious searching; whilst her black hair, heavy with -passion, seemed thicker still, and to be preying with its voracious -vitality upon her poor face, that face in which was fading the final -degenerateness of a long lineage, a family that had grown and lived in -the gloom of that cellar of old commercial Paris. Denise, her heart -bursting with pity, stood looking at her. She did not at first speak, -for fear of giving way to tears. However, she at last murmured: "I came -at once. Can I be of any use to you? You asked for me. Would you like -me to stay?"</p> - -<p>"No, thanks. I don't need anything. I only wanted to embrace you."</p> - -<p>Tears filled her eyes. Denise quickly leant over and kissed her, -trembling at the flame which came from those hollow cheeks to her own -lips. But Geneviève, stretching out her arms caught hold of her and -kept her in a desperate embrace. Then she looked towards her father.</p> - -<p>"Would you like me to stay?" repeated Denise. "Perhaps there is -something I can do for you."</p> - -<p>"No, no." Geneviève's glance was still obstinately fixed on her father, -who remained standing there with a bewildered air, almost choking. -However, he at last understood her and went away, without saying a -word. They heard his heavy footsteps descending the stairs.</p> - -<p>"Tell me, is he with that woman?" the sick girl then eagerly inquired -while catching hold of her cousin's hand, and making her sit down on -the edge of the bed. "Yes, I wanted to see you as you are the only one -who can tell me. They're together, aren't they?"</p> - -<p>In the surprise which these questions gave her Denise began to stammer, -and was obliged to confess the truth, the rumours that were current at -the Paradise. Clara, it was said, had already grown tired of Colomban, -who was pursuing her everywhere, striving to obtain an occasional -appointment by a sort of canine humility. It was also said that he was -about to take a situation at the Grands Magasins du Louvre.</p> - -<p>"If you love him so much, he may yet come back," added Denise seeking -to cheer the dying girl with this last hope. "Make haste and get well, -he will acknowledge his errors, and marry you."</p> - -<p>But Geneviève interrupted her. She had listened with all her soul, with -an intense passion which had raised her in the bed. Now, however, she -fell back. "No, I know it's all over! I don't say anything, because I -see papa crying, and I don't wish to make mamma worse than she is. But -I am going, Denise, and if I called for you last night it was for fear -of going off before the morning. And to think that he is not even happy -after all!"</p> - -<p>Then as Denise remonstrated with her, assuring her that she was not -so bad as all that, she again cut her short by suddenly throwing back -the bed-clothes with the chaste gesture of a virgin who has nothing to -conceal in death. Her bosom bare, she murmured: "Look at me! Is it not -the end?"</p> - -<p>Trembling with mingled horror and pity, Denise hastily rose from the -bed, as if she feared that her very breath might suffice to destroy -that puny emaciated form. Geneviève slowly covered her bosom again, -saying: "You see I am no longer a woman. It would be wrong to wish for -him still!"</p> - -<p>Silence fell between them. They continued gazing at each other, unable -to find a word to say. At last it was Geneviève who resumed: "Come, -don't stay any longer, you have your own affairs to look after. And -thanks, I was tormented by the wish to know, and now am satisfied. If -you ever see him again, tell him I forgive him. Farewell, dear Denise. -Kiss me once more, for it's the last time."</p> - -<p>The young woman kissed her, still protesting: "No, no, don't despair, -all you want is careful nursing, nothing more."</p> - -<p>But the sick girl smiled, shaking her head in an obstinate way, like -one who will not be deceived. And as her cousin at last walked towards -the door, she exclaimed: "Wait a minute, knock on the floor with this -stick, so that papa may come up. I'm afraid to stay alone."</p> - -<p>Then, when Baudu reached the little dismal room, where he spent long -hours seated on a chair, she assumed an air of gaiety, saying to -Denise—"Don't come to-morrow, I would rather not. But on Sunday I -shall expect you; you can spend the afternoon with me."</p> - -<p>The next morning, at six o'clock, Geneviève expired after four hours' -fearful agony. The funeral took place on a Saturday, a dark cloudy day, -with a sooty sky hanging low above the shivering city. The Old Elbeuf, -hung with white drapery, lighted up the street with a bright speck, and -the candles burning in the gloom seemed like so many stars enveloped in -twilight. Bead-work wreaths and a great bouquet of white roses covered -the coffin—a narrow child's coffin,—placed in the dark passage of the -house close to the pavement, so near indeed to the gutter that passing -vehicles had already splashed the drapery. With its continual rush of -pedestrians on the muddy footways the whole neighbourhood reeked of -dampness, exhaled a cellar-like mouldy odour.</p> - -<p>At nine o'clock Denise came over to stay with her aunt. But when the -funeral was about to start, the latter—who had ceased weeping, her -eyes scorched by her hot tears—begged her to follow the body and look -after her uncle, whose mute affliction and almost idiotic grief filled -the family with anxiety. Downstairs, the young woman found the street -full of people, for the small traders of the neighbourhood were anxious -to give the Baudus a mark of sympathy, and in their eagerness there -was a desire for a demonstration against that Ladies' Paradise, which -they accused of having caused Geneviève's slow agony. All the victims -of the monster were there—Bédoré and Sister, the hosiers of the Rue -Gaillon, Vanpouille Brothers, the furriers, Deslignières the toyman, -and Piot and Rivoire the furniture dealers; even Mademoiselle Tatin, -the dealer in under-linen, and Quinette the glover, though long since -cleared off by bankruptcy, had made it a duty to come, the one from -Batignolles, the other from the Bastille, where they had been obliged -to take situations. And whilst waiting for the hearse, which was late, -all these people, clad in black and tramping in the mud, cast glances -of hatred towards The Ladies' Paradise, whose bright windows and gay -displays seemed an insult in face of The Old Elbeuf, which, with its -funeral trappings and glimmering candles, lent an air of mourning to -the other side of the street. The faces of a few inquisitive salesmen -appeared at the plate-glass windows of the Paradise; but the colossus -itself preserved the indifference of a machine going at full speed, -unconscious of the deaths it may cause on the road.</p> - -<p>Denise looked round for her brother Jean, and at last perceived him -standing before Bourras's shop; whereupon she crossed over and asked -him to walk with his uncle, and assist him should he be unable to get -along. For the last few weeks Jean had been very grave, as if tormented -by some worry. That morning, buttoned up in his black frock-coat, for -he was now a full-grown man, earning his twenty francs a day, he seemed -so dignified and sad that his sister was surprised, having had no idea -that he loved their cousin so much. Desirous of sparing Pépé a needless -grief, she had left him with Madame Gras, intending to fetch him in the -afternoon to see his uncle and aunt.</p> - -<p>However, the hearse had still not arrived, and Denise, greatly -affected, stood watching the candles burn, when she was startled by a -well-known voice behind her. It was that of Bourras who had called a -chestnut-seller occupying a little box, against a wine shop opposite, -in order to say to him: "Here! Vigouroux, just keep a look-out on my -place, will you? You see I've taken the door handle away. If any one -comes, tell them to call again. But don't let that disturb you, no one -will come."</p> - -<p>Then he also took his stand at the edge of the pavement, waiting like -the others. Denise, feeling rather awkward, glanced at his shop. He -now altogether neglected it; only a disorderly collection of umbrellas -eaten up by damp and canes blackened by gas-light now remained in the -window. The embellishments that he had made, the light green paint -work, the mirrors, the gilded sign, were all cracking, already getting -dirty, exhibiting the rapid lamentable decrepitude of false luxury -laid over ruins. But although the old crevices were re-appearing, -although the damp spots had sprung up through the gilding, the house -still obstinately held its ground, hanging to the flanks of The Ladies' -Paradise like some shameful wart, which, although cracked and rotten, -yet refused to fall.</p> - -<p>"Ah! the scoundrels," growled Bourras, "they won't even let her be -carried away!"</p> - -<p>The hearse, which was at last approaching, had just come into collision -with one of The Paradise vans, which at the rapid trot of two superb -horses went spinning along shedding in the mist the starry radiance of -its shining panels. And from under his bushy eyebrows the old man cast -a side glance at Denise.</p> - -<p>The funeral procession started at a slow pace, splashing through -muddy puddles, amid the silence of the omnibuses and cabs which were -suddenly pulled up. When the coffin, draped with white, crossed the -Place Gaillon, the sombre looks of the followers once more plunged -into the windows of the big establishment where only two saleswomen -stood looking on, pleased with the diversion. Baudu followed the -hearse with a heavy mechanical step, refusing by a sign the arm -offered him by Jean, who walked alongside. Then, after a long string -of people, came three mourning coaches. As they crossed the Rue -Neuve-des-Petits-Champs, Robineau, looking very pale and much older, -ran up to join the procession.</p> - -<p>At Saint-Roch, a great many women were waiting, small traders of the -neighbourhood, who had wished to escape the crowd at the house of -mourning. The demonstration was developing into quite a riot; and -when, after the funeral service, the procession started off again, -all continued to follow, although it was a long walk from the Rue -Saint-Honoré to the Montmartre Cemetery. They had to turn up the Rue -Saint-Roch again, and once more pass The Ladies' Paradise. It was a -sort of defiance; the poor girl's body was paraded round the big shop -like that of a first victim fallen in time of revolution. At the door -some red flannels were flapping like so many flags, and a display -of carpets blazed forth in a gory efflorescence of huge roses and -full-blown peonies. Denise had now got into one of the coaches, being -agitated by such poignant doubts, her heart oppressed by such cruel -grief, that she had not the strength to walk further. In the Rue du -Dix-Décembre just before the scaffolding of the new façade which still -obstructed the thoroughfare there was a stoppage, and on looking out -the girl observed old Bourras behind all the others, dragging himself -along with difficulty close to the wheels of the coach in which she was -riding alone. He would never get as far as the cemetery, she thought. -However, he raised his head, looked at her, and all at once got into -the coach.</p> - -<p>"It's my confounded knees," he exclaimed. "Don't draw back! It isn't -you we hate."</p> - -<p>She felt him to be friendly and furious, as in former days. He -grumbled, declared that Baudu must be fearfully strong to be able to -keep up after such hard blows as he had received. The procession had -again started off at the same slow pace; and, on leaning out once -more, Denise saw her uncle walking behind the hearse with his heavy -step, which seemed to regulate the rumbling, painful march of the -cortège. Then she threw herself back into her corner and rocked by -the melancholy movement of the coach began listening to the endless -complaints of the old umbrella maker.</p> - -<p>"The police ought to clear the public thoroughfares, my word!" said he, -"They've been blocking up our street for the last eighteen months with -the scaffolding of their façade—another man was killed on it the other -day. Never mind! When they want to enlarge any further they'll have to -throw bridges over the streets. People say there are now two thousand -seven hundred employees, and that the turnover will amount to a hundred -millions this year. A hundred millions! just fancy! a hundred millions!"</p> - -<p>Denise had nothing to say in reply. The procession had just turned -into the Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, where it was stopped by a block -of vehicles. And Bourras went on, with a vague expression in his eyes, -as if he were now dreaming aloud. He still failed to understand the -triumph achieved by The Ladies' Paradise, but he acknowledged the -defeat of the old-fashioned traders.</p> - -<p>"Poor Robineau's done for, he looks like a drowning man," he resumed. -"And the Bédorés and the Vanpouilles, they can't keep going; they're -like me, played out. Deslignières will die of apoplexy, Piot and -Rivoire have had the jaundice. Ah! poor child! It must be comical for -those looking on to see such a string of bankrupts pass. Besides, it -appears that the clean sweep is to continue. Those scoundrels are -creating departments for flowers, bonnets, perfumery, boots and shoes, -all sorts of things. Grognet, the perfumer in the Rue de Grammont can -clear out, and I wouldn't give ten francs for Naud's boot-shop in the -Rue d'Antin. The cholera's even spread as far as the Rue Sainte-Anne. -Lacassagne, at the feather and flower shop, and Madame Chadeuil, whose -bonnets are so well-known, will be swept away in less than a couple -of years. And after those will come others and still others! All the -businesses in the neighbourhood will collapse. When counter-jumpers -start selling soap and goloshes, they are quite capable of dealing in -fried potatoes. 'Pon my word, the world is turning upside down!"</p> - -<p>The hearse had just then crossed the Place de la Trinité, and from the -corner of the gloomy coach Denise, who lulled by the funereal march -of the procession still listened to the old man's endless complaints, -could see the coffin ascending the steep Rue Blanche as they emerged -from the Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin. Behind her uncle, who was plodding -along with the blind, mute face of an ox about to be poleaxed, she -seemed to hear the tramping of a flock of sheep likewise being led to -the slaughter-house. It was the downfall of the shops of an entire -district, all the small traders dragging their ruin, amidst the thud -of damp shoes, through the black mud of Paris. Bourras, however, still -continued, in a fainter voice, as if fatigued by the difficult ascent -of the Rue Blanche:</p> - -<p>"As for me, I'm settled. But I still hold on all the same, and won't -let him go. He's just lost his appeal case. Ah! that's cost me -something: nearly two years' pleading, and the solicitors and the -barristers! Never mind, he won't pass under my shop, the judges have -decided that such work as that could not be considered legitimate -repairing. Just fancy, he talked of creating underneath my place a -saloon where his people might judge the colours of the stuffs by -gas-light, a subterranean room which would have joined the hosiery to -the drapery departments! And he can't get over it; he can't swallow the -fact that an old wreck like me should stop his progress, when all the -others are on their knees before his money. But never! I won't have -it! that's understood. Very likely I may be worsted. Since I have had -to fight against the process-servers, I know that the villain has been -buying up my bills in the hope of playing me some villainous trick. But -that doesn't matter; he says 'yes,' and I say 'no,' and I shall still -say 'no' even when I get between two boards like that poor child we are -following."</p> - -<p>When they reached the Boulevard de Clichy, the coach rolled on at a -quicker pace and one could hear the heavy breathing, the unconscious -haste of the followers, anxious to get the sad ceremony over. What -Bourras did not openly mention, was the frightful misery into which he -himself had fallen, bewildered by the worries which besiege the small -trader who is on the road to ruin and yet remains obstinate even under -a shower of protested bills. Denise, well acquainted with his position, -at last broke the silence by saying, in a voice of entreaty:</p> - -<p>"Pray don't stand out any longer, Monsieur Bourras. Let me arrange -matters for you."</p> - -<p>But he interrupted her with a violent gesture. "You be quiet. That's -nobody's business. You're a good little girl, and I know you lead him a -hard life, that man who thought you were for sale just like my house. -But what would you answer if I advised you to say 'yes?' You'd send me -about my business, eh? And so, when I say 'no,' don't you interfere in -the matter."</p> - -<p>Then, the coach having stopped at the cemetery gate, he alighted from -it with the young girl. The Baudus' vault was reached by the first -path on the left. In a few minutes the ceremony was over. Jean drew -away his uncle, who was looking into the grave all agape. The mourners -spread about amongst the neighbouring tombs, and the faces of all these -shopkeepers, their blood impoverished by living in damp, unhealthy -shops, assumed an ugly, suffering look under the leaden sky. When the -coffin gently slipped down, their blotched and pimpled cheeks paled, -and their bleared eyes, blinded by the constant contemplation of -figures, turned away.</p> - -<p>"We ought all to jump into that hole," said Bourras to Denise, who had -kept close to him. "In burying that poor girl they're burying the whole -district. Oh! I know what I say, the old style of business may go and -join the white roses they're throwing on her coffin."</p> - -<p>Denise brought her uncle and brother back in a mourning coach. The day -was for her dark and melancholy. In the first place, she began to get -anxious at seeing Jean so pale; and when she understood that it was -on account of another sweetheart she tried to quiet him by opening -her purse; but he shook his head and refused, saying it was a serious -matter this time, the niece of a very rich pastry-cook, who would not -accept even a bunch of violets. Afterwards, in the afternoon, when -Denise went to fetch Pépé from Madame Gras', the latter declared that -he was getting too big for her to keep any longer; and this was another -annoyance, for it would be necessary to find him a school, perhaps -send him away. And to crown all, on bringing Pépé to kiss his aunt and -uncle, Denise's heart was rent by the gloomy sadness of The Old Elbeuf. -The shop was closed, and the old couple were sitting in the little -dining-room, where they had forgotten to light the gas, notwithstanding -the complete obscurity in which it was plunged that winter's day. They -were now quite alone, face to face, in the house which ruin had slowly -emptied, and their daughter's death filled the dark corners with a -deeper gloom, and seemed like the beginning of that final dismemberment -which would break up the old rafters, preyed upon by damp. Beneath the -crushing blow, her uncle, unable to stop himself, still kept walking -round and round the table, with his funeral-like step, seeing nothing -and silent; whilst her aunt who said nothing either, remained huddled -together on a chair, with the white face of one who is wounded and -whose blood is running away drop by drop. They did not even weep when -Pépé covered their cold cheeks with kisses. For her part Denise was -choking with tears.</p> - -<p>That same evening Mouret sent for the young woman to speak to her about -a child's garment which he wished to launch, a mixture of the Scotch -and Zouave costumes. And, still trembling with pity, shocked by so much -suffering, she could not contain herself; and, to begin with, ventured -to speak of Bourras, that poor old man who was down and whom they were -about to ruin. But, on hearing the umbrella maker's name, Mouret flew -into a rage. The old madman, as he called him, was the plague of his -life, and spoilt his triumph by his idiotic obstinacy in not giving -up his house, that ignoble hovel which was a disgrace to The Ladies' -Paradise, the only little corner of the vast block that had escaped -conquest. The matter was becoming a perfect nightmare; any one else -but Denise speaking in favour of Bourras would have run the risk of -immediate dismissal, so violently was Mouret tortured by the sickly -desire to kick the old hovel down. In short, what did they wish him to -do? Could he leave that heap of ruins sticking to The Ladies' Paradise? -It would have to go, the shop must pass along. So much the worse for -the old fool! And he spoke of his repeated proposals; he had offered -him as much as a hundred thousand francs. Wasn't that fair? He never -higgled, he gave whatever money was required; but in return he expected -people to be reasonable, and allow him to finish his work! Did any one -ever try to stop engines on a railway? To all this Denise listened with -drooping eyes, unable on her side to find any but purely sentimental -reasons. The poor fellow was so old, they might have waited till his -death; a bankruptcy would kill him. Then Mouret added that he was no -longer able to prevent things following their course. Bourdoncle had -taken the matter up, for the board had resolved to put an end to it. So -she could say nothing more, notwithstanding the grievous pity which she -felt for her old friend.</p> - -<p>After a painful silence, Mouret himself began to speak of the Baudus, -by expressing his sorrow at the death of their daughter. They were very -worthy and very honest people but had been pursued by the worst of -luck. Then he resumed his arguments: at bottom, they had really brought -about their own misfortunes by obstinately clinging to the old customs -in their worm-eaten place. It was not astonishing that their house -should be falling about their heads. He had predicted it scores of -times; she must even remember that he had told her to warn her uncle of -a fatal disaster, if he should still cling to his stupid old-fashioned -ways. And the catastrophe had arrived; no one in the world could now -prevent it. People could not reasonably expect him to ruin himself to -save the neighbourhood. Besides, if he had been foolish enough to close -The Ladies' Paradise, another great establishment would have sprung -up of itself next door, for the idea was now starting from the four -corners of the globe; the triumph of these manufacturing and trading -centres was sown by the spirit of the age, which was sweeping away -the falling edifices of ancient times. Little by little as he went on -speaking, Mouret warmed up, and with eloquent emotion defended himself -against the hatred of his involuntary victims, against the clamour -of the small moribund businesses that he could hear around him. They -could not keep their dead above ground, he continued, they must bury -them; and, with a gesture, he consigned the corpse of old-fashioned -trading to the grave, swept into the common hole all those putrifying -pestilential remains which were becoming a disgrace to the bright, -sun-lit streets of new Paris. No, no, he felt no remorse, he was simply -doing the work of his age, and she knew it, she who loved life, who had -a passion for vast transactions settled in the full glare of publicity. -Reduced to silence, she listened to him for some time longer and then -went away, her soul full of trouble.</p> - -<p>That night Denise slept but little. Insomnia, interspersed with -nightmare, kept her turning over and over in her bed. It seemed to -her that she was again quite a little girl and burst into tears, in -their garden at Valognes, on seeing the blackcaps eat up the spiders, -which themselves devoured the flies. Was it then really true that it -was necessary for the world to fatten on death, that it was necessary -there should be this struggle for existence whereby humanity drew -even increase of life from the ossuaries of eternal destruction? And -afterwards she again found herself before the grave into which they had -lowered Geneviève, and then she perceived her uncle and aunt alone in -their gloomy dining-room. A dull sound as of something toppling sped -through the still atmosphere; it was Bourras's house giving way, as -if undermined by a high tide. Then silence fell again, more sinister -than ever, and a fresh crash was heard, then another, and another; the -Robineaus, the Bédorés, the Vanpouilles, were cracking and falling -in their turn; all the small shops of the Saint-Roch quarter were -disappearing beneath an invisible pick, with the sudden, thundering -noise of bricks falling from a cart. Then intense grief awoke her with -a start. Heavens! what tortures! There were families weeping, old men -thrown into the street, all the poignant dramas of ruin! And she could -save nobody; and even felt that it was right, that all this compost of -misery was necessary for the health of the Paris of the future. When -day broke, she became calmer, but a feeling of resigned sadness still -kept her awake, turned towards the window whose panes were brightening. -Yes, it was the needful meed of blood, every revolution required -martyrs, each step forward is taken over the bodies of the dead. Her -fear of being a wicked girl, of having helped to effect the ruin of her -kindred, now melted into heartfelt pity, in face of these evils beyond -remedy, which are like the labour pangs of each generation's birth. She -finished by trying to devise some possible comfort, her kindly heart -dreaming of the means to be employed in order to save her relations at -least from the final crash.</p> - -<p>And now Mouret appeared before her with his impassioned face and -caressing eyes. He would certainly refuse her nothing; she felt sure -that he would accord all reasonable compensations. And her thoughts -strayed, seeking to judge him. She knew his life and was aware of -the calculating nature of his former affections, his continual -"exploitation" of woman, his intimacy with Madame Desforges—the sole -object of which had been to get hold of Baron Hartmann—and with -all the others, such as Clara and the rest. But these Lothario-like -beginnings, which were the talk of the shop, gradually disappeared in -presence of the man's genius and victorious grace. He was seduction -itself. What she could never have forgiven was his former deception: -real coldness hidden beneath a gallant affectation of affection. -But she felt herself to be entirely without rancour now that he was -suffering through her. This suffering had elevated him. When she saw -him tortured by her refusal, atoning so fully for his former disdain -for woman, he seemed to her to make amends for many of his faults.</p> - -<p>That very morning Denise obtained from Mouret a promise of whatever -compensation she might consider reasonable on the day when the Baudus -and old Bourras should succumb. Weeks passed away, during which she -went to see her uncle nearly every afternoon, escaping from her -department for a few minutes and bringing her smiling face and girlish -courage to enliven the dark shop. She was especially anxious about her -aunt, who had fallen into a dull stupor ever since Geneviève's death; -it seemed as if her life was quitting her hourly; though, when people -questioned her, she would reply with an astonished air that she was not -suffering, but simply felt as if overcome by sleep. The neighbours, -however, shook their heads, saying she would not live long to regret -her daughter.</p> - -<p>One day Denise was coming from the Baudus, when, on turning the corner -of the Place Gaillon, she heard a loud cry. A crowd rushed forward, a -panic arose: that breath of fear and pity which suddenly brings all the -people in a street together. It was a brown omnibus, belonging to the -Bastille-Batignolles line, which had run over a man, at the entrance -of the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin, just opposite the fountain. Standing -up in his seat, the driver whilst furiously holding in his two black -horses which were rearing cried out, in a great passion:</p> - -<p>"Confound it! Confound it! Why don't you look out, you idiot!"</p> - -<p>The omnibus had now been brought to a standstill. The crowd had -surrounded the injured man, and a policeman happened to be on the -spot. Still standing up and invoking the testimony of the outside -passengers who had also risen, to look over and see the blood-stains, -the coachman, with exasperated gestures and choked by increasing anger, -was explaining the matter.</p> - -<p>"It's something fearful," said he. "Who could have expected such a -thing? That fellow was walking along quite at home and when I called -out to him he at once threw himself under the wheels!"</p> - -<p>Then a house-painter, who had run up, brush in hand, from a -neighbouring shop-front, exclaimed in a sharp voice, amidst the -clamour: "Don't excite yourself! I saw him, he threw himself under! He -jumped in, head first, like that. Another one tired of life, no doubt!"</p> - -<p>Others spoke up, and all agreed that it was a case of suicide, whilst -the policeman pulled out his note-book and made an entry. Several -ladies, all very pale, quickly alighted and ran away without looking -back, filled with horror by the sudden shaking which had stirred them -when the omnibus passed over the body. Denise, however, drew nearer, -attracted by a practical pity, which prompted her to interest herself -in the victims of all sorts of street accidents, such as wounded -dogs, horses down, and tilers falling off roofs. And she immediately -recognised the unfortunate fellow who had fainted away there in the -road, his clothes covered with mud.</p> - -<p>"It's Monsieur Robineau!" she exclaimed, in her grievous astonishment.</p> - -<p>The policeman at once questioned the young woman, and she gave the -victim's name, profession, and address. Thanks to the driver's energy, -the omnibus had swerved, and thus only Robineau's legs had gone under -the wheels; however, it was to be feared that they were both broken. -Four men carried him to a chemist's shop in the Rue Gaillon, whilst the -omnibus slowly resumed its journey.</p> - -<p>"My stars!" said the driver, whipping up his horses, "I've done a -famous day's work."</p> - -<p>Denise followed Robineau into the chemist's. The latter, pending the -arrival of a doctor who was not to be found, declared that there was -no immediate danger, and that the injured man had better be taken -home, as he lived in the neighbourhood. A man then started off to the -police-station for a stretcher, and Denise had the happy thought of -going on in front so as to prepare Madame Robineau for this frightful -blow. But she had the greatest trouble in the world to get into the -street again through the crowd, which was struggling before the door of -the chemist's shop. This crowd, attracted by death, was every minute -increasing; men, women, and children stood on tip-toe, and held their -own amidst brutal pushing; and each new-comer had his version to give -of the accident, so that at last the victim was said to be a husband -who had been pitched out of window by his wife's lover.</p> - -<p>In the Rue Neuve-des-Petits-Champs, Denise perceived, from a distance, -Madame Robineau on the threshold of the silk warehouse. This gave her -a pretext for stopping, and she talked on for a moment, trying to find -a means of breaking the terrible news. The place wore the disorderly, -neglectful aspect of a shop in the last agony, one whose business is -fast dying. It was the inevitable end of the great battle of the rival -silks; the Paris Delight had destroyed competition by a fresh reduction -of a sou; it was now sold at four francs nineteen sous the mêtre, -and Gaujean's silk had found its Waterloo. For the last two months -Robineau, reduced to all sorts of shifts, had been leading a fearful -life, trying to avert a declaration of bankruptcy.</p> - -<p>"I saw your husband crossing the Place Gaillon," murmured Denise, who -had ended by entering the shop.</p> - -<p>Thereupon Madame Robineau, whom a secret anxiety seemed to be -continually attracting towards the street, said quickly: "Ah, a little -while ago, wasn't it? I'm waiting for him, he ought to be back by now. -Monsieur Gaujean came this morning, and they went out together."</p> - -<p>She was still charming, delicate, and gay; but was in a delicate state -of health and seemed more frightened, more bewildered than ever by -those dreadful business matters, which she did not understand, and -which were all going wrong. As she often said, what was the use of it -all? Would it not be better to live quietly in some small lodging, and -be contented with modest fare?</p> - -<p>"My dear child," she resumed with her pretty smile, which was becoming -sadder, "we have nothing to conceal from you. Things are not going -well, and my poor darling is worried to death. Again to-day this man -Gaujean has been tormenting him about some overdue bills. I was dying -with anxiety at being left here all alone."</p> - -<p>And she was once more returning to the door when Denise stopped her, -having heard the noise of a crowd and guessing that it was the injured -man being brought along, surrounded by a mob of idlers anxious to see -the end of the affair. And thereupon with her throat parched, unable -to find the consoling words she would have liked to say, she had to -explain the matter.</p> - -<p>"Don't be anxious, there's no immediate danger. I've seen Monsieur -Robineau, he has met with an accident. They are just bringing him home, -pray don't be frightened."</p> - -<p>The young woman listened to her, white as a sheet, and as yet not -clearly understanding her. The street was full of people, and -cab-drivers, unable to get along, were swearing, while the bearers set -the stretcher before the shop in order to open both glass doors.</p> - -<p>"It was an accident," continued Denise, determined to conceal the -attempt at suicide. "He was on the pavement and slipped under the -wheels of an omnibus. Only his feet are hurt. They've sent for a -doctor. Don't be frightened."</p> - -<p>A great shudder shook Madame Robineau. She gave vent to a few -inarticulate cries; then said no more but sank down beside the -stretcher, drawing its covering aside with her trembling hands. The men -who had brought it were waiting to take it away as soon as the doctor -should arrive. They dared not touch Robineau, who had now regained -consciousness, and whose sufferings became frightful at the slightest -movement. When he saw his wife big tears ran down his cheeks. She -embraced him, and stood looking at him fixedly, and weeping. Out in -the street the tumult was increasing; the people pressed forward as -with glistening eyes at a theatre; some girls, fresh from a workshop, -were almost pushing through the windows in their eagerness to see what -was going on. Then Denise in order to avoid this feverish curiosity, -and thinking, moreover, that it was not right to leave the shop open, -decided to let the metal shutters down. She went and turned the winch, -whose wheels gave out a plaintive cry whilst the sheets of iron slowly -descended, like the heavy draperies of a curtain falling on the -catastrophe of a fifth act. And when she went in again, after closing -the little round door in the shutters, she found Madame Robineau still -clasping her husband in her arms, in the vague half-light which came -from the two stars cut in the sheet-iron. The ruined shop seemed to -be gliding into nothingness, those two stars alone glittered on this -sudden and brutal catastrophe of the streets of Paris.</p> - -<p>At last Madame Robineau recovered her speech. "Oh, my darling!—oh, my -darling! my darling!"</p> - -<p>This was all she could say, and he, half choking, confessed himself, a -prey to keen remorse now that he saw her kneeling thus before him. When -he did not move he only felt the burning weight of his legs.</p> - -<p>"Forgive me, I must have been mad. But when the lawyer told me before -Gaujean that the posters would be put up to-morrow, I saw flames -dancing before my eyes as if the walls were on fire. After that I -remember nothing. I was coming down the Rue de la Michodière—and I -fancied that The Paradise people were laughing at me—that big rascally -house seemed to crush me—so, when the omnibus came up, I thought of -Lhomme and his arm, and threw myself under the wheels."</p> - -<p>Madame Robineau had slowly fallen on to the floor, horrified by this -confession. Heavens! he had tried to kill himself. She caught hold of -the hand of Denise who was leaning towards her, also quite overcome. -The injured man, exhausted by emotion, had just fainted away again. -The doctor had still not arrived. Two men had been scouring the -neighbourhood for him; and the doorkeeper belonging to the house had -now gone to seek him in his turn.</p> - -<p>"Pray, don't be anxious," Denise kept on repeating mechanically, -herself also sobbing.</p> - -<p>Then Madame Robineau, seated on the floor, with her head on a level -with the stretcher, her cheek resting against the sacking on which -her husband was lying, relieved her heart. "Oh! I must tell you. -It's all for me that he wanted to die. He's always saying, 'I've -robbed you; it was your money.' And at night he dreamed of those -sixty thousand francs, waking up covered with perspiration, calling -himself an incompetent fellow and saying that those who have no head -for business ought not to risk other people's money. You know that -he has always been nervous, and apt to worry himself. He finished by -conjuring up things that frightened me. He pictured me in the street -in tatters, begging—me whom he loved so dearly, whom he longed to see -rich and happy." The poor woman paused; on turning her head she saw -that her husband had opened his eyes; then she continued stammering: -"My darling, why have you done this? You must think me very wicked! I -assure you, I don't care if we are ruined. So long as we are together, -we shall never be unhappy. Let them take everything, and we will go -away somewhere, where you won't hear any more about them. You can still -work; you'll see how happy we shall be!"</p> - -<p>She let her forehead fall near her husband's pale face, and both -remained speechless, in the emotion of their anguish. Silence fell. -The shop seemed to be sleeping, benumbed by the pale twilight which -enveloped it; whilst from behind the thin metal shutters came the -uproar of the street, the life of broad daylight passing along with -the rumbling of vehicles, and the hustling and pushing of the crowd. -At last Denise, who went every other minute to glance through the door -leading to the hall of the house came back: "Here's the doctor!"</p> - -<p>It was a young fellow with bright eyes, whom the doorkeeper had found -and brought in. He preferred to examine the injured man before they -put him to bed. Only one of his legs, the left one, was broken above -the ankle; it was a simple fracture, no serious complication appeared -likely to result from it. And they were about to carry the stretcher -into the back-room when Gaujean arrived. He came to give them an -account of a last attempt to settle matters, an attempt moreover which -had failed; the declaration of bankruptcy was unavoidable.</p> - -<p>"Dear me," murmured he, "what's the matter?"</p> - -<p>In a few words, Denise informed him. Then he stopped, feeling awkward, -while Robineau said, in a feeble voice: "I don't bear you any ill-will, -but all this is partly your fault."</p> - -<p>"Well, my dear fellow," replied Gaujean, "it wanted stronger men than -ourselves. You know I'm not in a much better position than you are."</p> - -<p>They raised the stretcher; Robineau still found strength to say: "No, -no, stronger fellows than us would have given way as we have. I can -understand such obstinate old men as Bourras and Baudu standing out; -but for you and I, who are young, who had accepted the new style of -things, it was wrong! No, Gaujean, it's the last of a world."</p> - -<p>They carried him off. Madame Robineau embraced Denise with an eagerness -in which there was almost a feeling of joy at having at last got rid -of all those worrying business matters. And, as Gaujean went away with -the young girl, he confessed to her that Robineau, poor devil, was -right. It was idiotic to try to struggle against The Ladies' Paradise. -Personally he felt he would be lost, if he did not get back into its -good graces. The night before, in fact, he had secretly made a proposal -to Hutin, who was just leaving for Lyons. But he felt very doubtful, -and tried to interest Denise in the matter, aware, no doubt, of her -powerful influence.</p> - -<p>"Upon my word," said he, "so much the worse for the manufacturers! -Every one would laugh at me if I ruined myself in fighting for -other people's benefit, when those fellows are struggling as to who -shall make at the cheapest price! As you said some time ago, the -manufacturers have only to follow the march of progress by a better -organization and new methods. Everything will come all right; it is -sufficient that the public are satisfied."</p> - -<p>Denise smiled and replied: "Go and tell that to Monsieur Mouret -himself. Your visit will please him, and he's not the man to display -any rancour, if you offer him even a centime profit per yard."</p> - -<p>Madame Baudu died one bright sunny afternoon in January. For a -fortnight she had been unable to go down into the shop which a -charwoman now looked after. She sat in the centre of her bed, propped -up by some pillows. Nothing but her eyes seemed to be alive in her -white face; and with head erect, she obstinately gazed upon The Ladies' -Paradise opposite, through the small curtains of the windows. Baudu, -himself suffering from the same obsession, from the despairing fixity -of her gaze, sometimes wanted to draw the larger curtains. But she -stopped him with an imploring gesture, obstinately desirous of looking -and looking till the last moment should come. The monster had now -robbed her of everything, her business, her daughter; she herself had -gradually died away with The Old Elbeuf, losing some part of her life -as the shop lost its customers; the day it succumbed, she had no more -breath left. When she felt she was dying, she still found strength to -insist on her husband opening both windows. It was very mild, a bright -ray of sunshine gilded The Ladies' Paradise, whilst the bed-room of -the old house shivered in the shade. Madame Baudu lay there with eyes -fixed, full of that vision of the triumphal monument, those clear, -limpid windows, behind which a gallop of millions was passing. But -slowly her eyes grew dim, invaded by darkness; and when their last -gleam had expired in death, they remained wide open, still gazing, and -wet with tears.</p> - -<p>Once more all the ruined traders of the district followed the funeral -procession. There were the brothers Vanpouille, pale at the thought of -their December bills, met by a supreme effort which they would never -be able to repeat. Bédoré, accompanying his sister, leant on his cane, -so full of worry and anxiety that his liver complaint was getting -worse every day. Deslignières had had a fit, Piot and Rivoire walked -on in silence, with downcast looks, like men entirely played out. And -they dared not question each other about those who had disappeared, -Quinette, Mademoiselle Tatin, and others, who, in the space of a day, -sank, ruined, swept away by the flood of disasters: without counting -Robineau, still in bed, with his broken leg. But they pointed with an -especial air of interest to the new tradesmen attacked by the plague: -Grognet the perfumer, Madame Chadeuil the milliner, Lacassagne the -flower-maker, and Naud the boot-maker who were still on their legs, but -full of anxiety at thought of the evil which would doubtless sweep them -away in their turn. Baudu walked behind the hearse with the same heavy, -stolid step as when he had followed his daughter; whilst in the first -mourning coach could be seen Bourras's eyes sparkling under his bushy -eyebrows and hair of a snowy whiteness.</p> - -<p>Denise was in great trouble. For the last fortnight she had been -worn out with fatigue and anxiety; she had been obliged to put Pépé -to school, and had been running about on account of Jean, who was so -stricken with the pastrycook's niece, that he had implored his sister -to go and ask her hand in marriage. Then her aunt's death, this fresh -catastrophe, had quite overwhelmed the young girl, though Mouret had -again offered his services, giving her leave to do what she liked for -her uncle and the others. One morning she had yet another interview -with him, at the news that Bourras had been turned into the street, and -that Baudu was going to shut up shop. Then, she went out after lunch in -the hope of at least comforting these two.</p> - -<p>In the Rue de la Michodière, Bourras was standing on the foot pavement -opposite his house, whence he had been evicted on the previous day -by a fine trick, a discovery of the lawyers. As Mouret held several -bills, he had easily obtained an order in bankruptcy against the -umbrella-maker and then had given five hundred francs for the expiring -lease at the sale ordered by the court; so that the obstinate old man -had for five hundred francs allowed himself to be deprived of what he -had refused to surrender for a hundred thousand. The architect, who -came with his gang of workmen, had been obliged to employ the police -to get him out. The goods had been taken and sold, the rooms cleared; -however, he still obstinately remained in the corner where he slept, -and from which out of pity they did not like to drive him. The workmen -even attacked the roofing over his head. They took off the rotten -slates, the ceilings fell in and the walls cracked, and yet he remained -there, under the bare old beams, amidst the ruins. At last when the -police came, he went away. But on the following morning he again -appeared on the opposite side of the street, after passing the night in -a lodging-house of the neighbourhood.</p> - -<p>"Monsieur Bourras!" said Denise, kindly.</p> - -<p>He did not hear her for his flaming eyes were devouring the workmen who -were attacking the front of the hovel with their picks. Through the -glassless windows you could see the inside of the house, the wretched -rooms, and the black staircase, to which the sun had not penetrated for -the last two hundred years.</p> - -<p>"Ah! it's you," he replied at last, when he recognised her. "A nice bit -of work they're doing, eh? the robbers!"</p> - -<p>She no longer dared to speak; her heart was stirred by the lamentable -wretchedness of the old place; she was unable to take her eyes off the -mouldy stones that were falling. Up above on a corner of the ceiling of -her old room, she once more perceived that name—Ernestine—written in -black and shaky letters with the flame of a candle; and the remembrance -of her days of misery came back to her, inspiring her with a tender -sympathy for all suffering. However, the workmen, in order to knock -one of the walls down at a blow, had attacked it at its base. It was -already tottering.</p> - -<p>"If only it could crush them all," growled Bourras, in a savage voice.</p> - -<p>There was a terrible cracking noise. The frightened workmen ran out -into the street. In falling, the wall shook and carried all the rest -with it. No doubt the hovel, with its flaws and cracks was ripe for -this downfall; a push had sufficed to cleave it from top to bottom. It -was a pitiful crumbling, the razing of a mud-house soddened by rain. -Not a partition remained standing; on the ground there was nothing but -a heap of rubbish, the dung of the past cast, as it were, at the street -corner.</p> - -<p>"My God!" the old man had exclaimed as if the blow had resounded in his -very entrails.</p> - -<p>He stood there gaping; he would never have imagined that it would have -been so quickly over. And he looked at the gap, the hollow at last -yawning beside The Ladies' Paradise, now freed of the wart which had -so long disgraced it. The gnat was crushed; this was the final triumph -over the galling obstinacy of the infinitely little; the whole block -was now invaded and conquered. Passers-by lingered to talk to the -workmen, who began crying out against those old buildings which were -only good for killing people.</p> - -<p>"Monsieur Bourras," repeated Denise, trying to draw him on one side, -"you know that you will not be abandoned. All your wants will be -provided for."</p> - -<p>He raised his head. "I have no wants. You've been sent by them, haven't -you? Well, tell them that old Bourras still knows how to use his hands -and that he can find work wherever he likes. Really, it would be a fine -thing to offer charity to those whom they assassinate!"</p> - -<p>Then she implored him: "Pray accept, Monsieur Bourras; don't cause me -this grief."</p> - -<p>But he shook his bushy head. "No, no, it's all over. Good-bye. Go and -live happily, you who are young, and don't prevent old people from -sticking to their ideas."</p> - -<p>He cast a last glance at the heap of rubbish, and then went painfully -away. She watched him disappear, elbowed by the crowd on the pavement. -He turned the corner of the Place Gaillon, and all was over.</p> - -<p>For a moment, Denise remained motionless, lost in thought. Then she -went over to her uncle's. The draper was alone in the dark shop of -The Old Elbeuf. The charwoman only came in the morning and evening to -do a little cooking, and help him take down and put up the shutters. -He spent hours in this solitude, often without being disturbed during -the whole day, and bewildered and unable to find the goods when a -stray customer chanced to venture in. And there in the silence and the -half-light he walked about unceasingly, with the same heavy step as -at the two funerals; yielding to a sickly desire, to regular fits of -forced marching, as if he were trying to rock his grief to sleep.</p> - -<p>"Are you feeling better, uncle?" asked Denise.</p> - -<p>He only stopped for a second and then started off again, going from the -pay-desk to an obscure corner.</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes. Very well, thanks."</p> - -<p>She tried to find some consoling subject, some cheerful remark, but -could think of nothing. "Did you hear the noise? The house is down."</p> - -<p>"Ah! it's true," he murmured, with an astonished look, "that must have -been the house. I felt the ground shake. Seeing them on the roof this -morning, I closed my door."</p> - -<p>Then he made a vague gesture, to intimate that such things no longer -interested him. Each time he arrived in front of the pay-desk, he -looked at the empty seat, that well-known velvet-covered seat, where -his wife and daughter had grown up. Then, when his perpetual walking -brought him to the other end, he gazed at the gloom-enveloped shelves, -on which a few pieces of cloth were growing more and more mouldy. It -was a widowed house; those he loved had disappeared; his business had -come to a shameful end; and he was left alone to commune with his -dead heart and fallen pride, amidst all these catastrophes. He raised -his eyes to the black ceiling, he listened to the sepulchral silence -which reigned in the little dining-room, that family nook which he had -formerly loved so well, even to its stuffy odour. Not a breath was now -heard in the old house, his regular heavy tread made the ancient walls -resound, as if he were walking in the tomb of his affections.</p> - -<p>At last Denise approached the subject which had brought her. "Uncle," -said she, "you can't stay like this. You must come to a decision."</p> - -<p>Without stopping he replied: "No doubt; but what would you have me do? -I've tried to sell, but no one has come. One of these mornings, I shall -shut up shop and go off."</p> - -<p>She was aware that a failure was no longer to be feared. The creditors -had preferred to come to an understanding in presence of such a long -series of misfortunes. Everything paid, the old man would simply find -himself in the street, penniless.</p> - -<p>"But what will you do, then?" she murmured, seeking some transition in -order to arrive at the offer which she dared not make.</p> - -<p>"I don't know," he replied. "They'll pick me up all right." He had -now changed his route, going from the dining-room to the windows; and -every time he came to these windows he cast a mournful glance on the -wretchedness of the old show-goods forgotten there. His eyes did not -even turn towards the triumphal façade of The Ladies' Paradise, whose -architectural lines ran right and left, to both ends of the street. He -was thoroughly annihilated, and had not even the strength left him to -get angry.</p> - -<p>"Listen, uncle," said Denise at last, greatly embarrassed; "perhaps -there might be a situation for you." And after a pause she stammered, -"Yes, I am charged to offer you a situation as inspector."</p> - -<p>"Where?" asked Baudu.</p> - -<p>"Why, over the road," she replied; "at our place. Six thousand francs a -year; a very easy berth."</p> - -<p>He stopped suddenly in front of her. But instead of getting angry as -she feared he would, he turned very pale, succumbing to a grievous -emotion, a feeling of bitter resignation.</p> - -<p>"Over the road, over the road," he stammered several times. "You want -me to go there?"</p> - -<p>Denise herself was affected by his emotion. She recalled the long -struggle of the two shops, again saw herself at the funerals of -Geneviève and Madame Baudu, and beheld The Old Elbeuf overthrown, -utterly ruined by The Ladies' Paradise. And the idea of her uncle -taking a situation over the road, and walking about there in a white -neck-tie, made her heart leap with pity and revolt.</p> - -<p>"Come, Denise, my girl, is it possible?" he asked simply, crossing his -poor trembling hands.</p> - -<p>"No, no, uncle!" she exclaimed, in a sudden outburst of her just and -excellent nature. "It would be wrong. Forgive me, I beg of you."</p> - -<p>He resumed his walk and again his step resounded amidst the funereal -emptiness of the house. And, when she left him, he was still and ever -marching up and down, with the obstinate locomotion peculiar to great -despairs which turn and turn, unable to find an outlet.</p> - -<p>That night also proved a sleepless one for Denise. She had discovered -she really was powerless. Even in favour of her own people she was -unable to find any consolation or relief. She must to the bitter end -remain a witness of the invincible work of life which requires death -as its continual seed. She no longer struggled, she accepted this -law of combat; still her womanly soul filled with tearful pity, with -fraternal tenderness at the idea of humanity's sufferings. For years -past she herself had been caught in the wheel-work of the machine. Had -she not bled in it? Had she not been bruised, dismissed, overwhelmed -with insults? Even now she was frightened, when she felt herself chosen -by the logic of facts. Why should it be she, who was so puny? Why -should her small hand suddenly become so powerful amidst the monster's -work? And the force which swept everything away, carried her along in -her turn, she, whose coming was to be revenge. It was Mouret who had -invented this world-crushing mechanism whose brutal working shocked -her; he had strewn the neighbourhood with ruins, despoiled some, killed -others; and yet despite everything she loved him for the grandeur -of his work, loved him still more at each fresh excess of power, -notwithstanding the flood of tears which overcame her in presence of -the hallowed wretchedness of the vanquished.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h4><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</a></h4> - - -<p>The Rue du Dix-Décembre, quite new with its chalk-white houses and the -last remaining scaffoldings of a few unfinished buildings, stretched -out beneath a clear February sun; a stream of vehicles was passing at a -conquering pace through this gap of light, intersecting the damp gloom -of the old Saint-Roch quarter; and, between the Rue de la Michodière -and the Rue de Choiseul, there was quite a tumult, the crush of a crowd -of people who had been excited by a month's advertising, and with their -eyes in the air, were gaping at the monumental façade of The Ladies' -Paradise, inaugurated that Monday, on the occasion of a grand display -of white goods.</p> - -<p>There was a vast development of bright, fresh polychromatic -architecture enriched with gilding, symbolical of the tumult and -sparkle of the business inside, and attracting attention like a -gigantic window-display flaming with the liveliest colours. In order -not to bedim the show of goods, the ground-floor decoration was of a -sober description; the base of sea-green marble; the corner piers and -bearing pillars covered with black marble, the severity of which was -brightened by gilded modillions; and all the rest was plate-glass, -in iron sashes, nothing but glass, which seemed to throw the depths -of the halls and galleries open to the full light of day. However, -as the floors ascended, the hues became brighter. The frieze above -the ground-floor was formed of a series of mosaics, a garland of red -and blue flowers, alternating with marble slabs on which was cut an -infinity of names of goods, encircling the colossus. Then the base of -the first floor, of enamelled brickwork, supported large windows, above -which came another frieze formed of gilded escutcheons emblazoned with -the arms of the chief towns of France, and designs in terra-cotta, in -whose enamel one again found the light coloured tints of the base. -Then, right at the top, the entablature blossomed forth like an ardent -florescence of the entire façade, mosaics and faience reappeared with -yet warmer colourings, the zinc of the eaves was cut and gilded, while -along the acroteria ran a nation of statues, emblematical of the -great industrial and manufacturing cities, their delicate silhouettes -profiled against the sky. The spectators were especially astonished -by the central entrance which was also decorated with a profusion of -mosaics, faience, and terra-cotta, and surmounted by a freshly gilt -allegorical group, which glittered in the sun: Woman garmented and -kissed by a flight of laughing cupids.</p> - -<p>About two o'clock a special squad of police was obliged to make the -crowd move on, and to regulate the waiting carriages. The palace was -built, the temple raised to the extravagant folly of fashion. It -dominated everything, covering a whole district with its shadows. The -scar left on its flank by the demolition of Bourras's hovel had already -been so skilfully cicatrized that it would now have been impossible to -find the former place of that old wart.</p> - -<p>In their superb isolation the four frontages now ran along the four -streets, without a break. Since Baudu's retirement into a home, The Old -Elbeuf, on the other side of the way, had been closed, walled up like -a tomb, behind the shutters that were never now taken down; little by -little cab-wheels had splashed them, while posters—a rising tide of -advertisements, which seemed like the last shovelful of earth thrown -over old-fashioned commerce—covered them up and pasted them together; -and, in the middle of this dead frontage, dirtied by the mud from the -street, and streaked with tatters of Parisian puffery, a huge clean -yellow poster, announcing in letters two feet high the great sale at -The Ladies' Paradise, was displayed like a flag planted on a conquered -empire.</p> - -<p>It was as if the colossus, after each enlargement, full of shame and -repugnance for the dingy district in which it had modestly sprung -up, and which it had subsequently slaughtered, had just turned -its back to it, leaving the mud of the narrow streets behind, and -presenting its upstart face to the noisy, sunny thoroughfares of new -Paris. As now represented in the engravings of its advertisements, -it had grown bigger and bigger, like the ogre of the legend, whose -shoulders threatened to pierce the clouds. In the first place, in -the foreground of one engraving, were the Rue du Dix-Décembre, the -Rue de la Michodière, and the Rue Monsigny, filled with little black -figures, and endowed with wondrous breadth, as if to make room for -the customers of the whole world. Then came a bird's eye view of the -buildings themselves, of exaggerated immensity, with the roofs of the -covered galleries, the glazed courtyards in which the halls could be -divined, all the infinitude of that lake of glass and zinc shining in -the sun. Beyond, stretched Paris, but a Paris dwarfed, eaten away by -the monster: the houses, of cottage-like humbleness in the immediate -neighbourhood, faded into a cloud of indistinct chimneys; the public -buildings seemed to melt into nothingness, on the left two dashes -sufficed for Notre-Dame, to the right a circumflex accent represented -the Invalides, in the background the Panthéon looked no larger than -a lentil. The horizon crumbled into powder, became no more than a -contemptible frame-work extending past the heights of Châtillon, -out into the open country, whose blurred expanses indicated how far -extended the state of slavery.</p> - -<p>Ever since the morning the crowd had been increasing. No establishment -had ever yet stirred up the city with such an uproarious profusion -of advertisements. The Ladies' Paradise now spent nearly six hundred -thousand francs a year in posters, advertisements, and appeals of all -sorts; four hundred thousand catalogues were sent away, more than a -hundred thousand francs' worth of material was cut up for patterns. -It was a complete invasion of the newspapers, the walls, and the ears -of the public, as if some monstrous brass trumpet were being blown -incessantly, carrying the tumult of the great sales to the four corners -of the earth. And, for the future, this façade, before which people -were now crowding, became a living advertisement with its motley, -gilded magnificence, its windows large enough for the display of the -entire poem of woman's dress and its profusion of inscriptions painted, -engraved and cut in stone, from the marble slabs of the ground-floor -to the sheets of iron rounded off in semicircles above the roofs and -unfolding gilded streamers on which the name of the house could be read -in letters bright as the sun, against the azure blue of the sky.</p> - -<p>Trophies and flags had been added in honour of the inauguration; each -storey was gay with banners and standards bearing the arms of the -principal towns of France; and right at the top, the flags of foreign -nations, run up on masts, fluttered in the breeze. Down below the show -of white goods in the windows flashed with blinding intensity. There -was nothing but white; on the left a complete trousseau and a mountain -of sheets, on the right some curtains draped to imitate a chapel, and -numerous pyramids of handkerchiefs fatigued the eyes; while between the -hung goods at the door—pieces of cotton, calico, and muslin, falling -and spreading out like snow from a mountain summit—were placed some -dressed prints, sheets of bluish cardboard, on which a young bride -and a lady in ball costume, both life-size and attired in real lace -and silk, smiled with their coloured faces. A group of idlers was -constantly forming there, and desire arose from the admiration of the -throng.</p> - -<p>Moreover the curiosity around The Ladies' Paradise was increased by a -catastrophe of which all Paris was talking, the burning down of The -Four Seasons, the big establishment which Bouthemont had opened near -the Opera-house, hardly three weeks before. The newspapers were full -of details—the fire breaking out through an explosion of gas during -the night, the hurried flight of the frightened saleswomen in their -night-dresses, and the heroic conduct of Bouthemont, who had carried -five of them out on his shoulders. The enormous losses were covered -by insurances and people had already begun to shrug their shoulders, -saying what a splendid advertisement it was. But for the time being -attention again flowed back to The Ladies' Paradise, excited by all -the stories which were flying about, occupied to a wonderful extent by -these colossal establishments which by their importance were taking up -such a large place in public life. How wonderfully lucky that Mouret -was! Paris saluted her star, and crowded to see him still standing -erect since the very flames now undertook to sweep all competition -from before him; and the profits of his season were already being -calculated, people had begun to estimate the increase of custom which -would be brought to his doors by the forced closing of the rival house. -For a moment he had been anxious, troubled at feeling a jealous woman -against him, that Madame Desforges to whom he owed some part of his -fortune. Baron Hartmann's financial dilettantism in putting money into -both concerns, annoyed him also. Then he was above all exasperated at -having missed a genial idea which had occurred to Bouthemont, who had -prevailed on the vicar of the Madeleine to bless his establishment, -followed by all his clergy; an astonishing ceremony, a religious -pomp paraded from the silk department to the glove department, and -so on throughout the building. True, this ceremony had not prevented -everything from being destroyed, but it had done as much good as a -million francs worth of advertisements, so great an impression had it -produced on the fashionable world. From that day, Mouret dreamed of -securing the services of the archbishop.</p> - -<p>The clock over the door was striking three, and the afternoon crush -had commenced, nearly a hundred thousand customers struggling in the -various galleries and halls. Outside, the vehicles were stationed from -one to the other end of the Rue du Dix-Décembre, and over against -the Opera-house another compact mass of conveyances occupied the -<i>cul-de-sac</i> where the future Avenue de l'Opéra was to commence. Public -cabs mixed with private broughams, the drivers waiting about the wheels -and the horses neighing and shaking their curb-chains which sparkled in -the sun. The lines were incessantly reforming amidst the calls of the -messengers and the pushing of the animals, which closed in of their own -accord, whilst fresh vehicles kept on arriving and taking their places -with the rest. The pedestrians flew on to the refuges in frightened -bands, the foot pavements appeared black with people in the receding -perspective of the broad straight thoroughfare. And a clamour rose up -between the white houses, a mighty caressing breath swept along, as -though Paris were opening her soul.</p> - -<p>Madame de Boves, accompanied by her daughter Blanche and Madame Guibal, -was standing at a window, looking at a display of costumes composed of -made-up skirts with the necessary material for bodices.</p> - -<p>"Oh! do look," said she, "at those print costumes at nineteen francs -fifteen sous!"</p> - -<p>In their square pasteboard boxes lay the costumes, each tied round -with a favour, and folded so as to show the blue and red embroidered -trimmings; and, in a corner of each box, was an engraving depicting the -garment completed, as worn by a young person resembling some princess.</p> - -<p>"But they are not worth more," murmured Madame Guibal. "They fall to -pieces as soon as you handle them."</p> - -<p>The two women had become quite intimate since Monsieur de Boves had -been confined to his arm-chair by an attack of gout. His wife put up -with the acquaintance, since in this way she picked up a little pocket -money, sums that the husband allowed himself to be robbed of, being -also in need of forbearance.</p> - -<p>"Well! let's go in," resumed Madame Guibal. "We must see their show. -Hasn't your son-in-law made an appointment with you inside?"</p> - -<p>Madame de Boves did not reply, being absorbed in contemplation of the -string of carriages, whose doors one by one opened and gave egress to -more customers.</p> - -<p>"Yes," said Blanche, at last, in her indolent voice. "Paul is to join -us at about four o'clock in the reading-room, on leaving the ministry."</p> - -<p>They had been married about a month, and Vallagnosc, after a three -weeks' leave of absence spent in the South of France, had just -returned to his post. The young woman already had her mother's portly -appearance; her flesh seemed to be more puffy and coarse since her -marriage.</p> - -<p>"But there's Madame Desforges over there!" exclaimed the countess, -looking at a brougham that had just pulled up.</p> - -<p>"Do you think so?" murmured Madame Guibal. "After all those stories! -She must still be weeping over the fire at The Four Seasons."</p> - -<p>However, it was indeed Henriette. On perceiving her friends, she -came up with a gay, smiling air, concealing her defeat beneath the -fashionable ease of her manner.</p> - -<p>"Dear me! yes, I wanted to have a look round. It's better to see for -one's self, isn't it? Oh! we are still good friends with Monsieur -Mouret, though he is said to be furious since I interested myself in -that rival establishment. Personally, there is only one thing I cannot -forgive him, and that is, to have urged on the marriage of my protégée, -Mademoiselle de Fontenailles, with that Joseph——"</p> - -<p>"What! it's done?" interrupted Madame de Boves. "What a horror!"</p> - -<p>"Yes, my dear, and solely to annoy us. I know him; he wished to -intimate that the daughters of our great families are only fit to marry -his shop messengers."</p> - -<p>She was getting quite animated. They had all four remained on the -pavement, amidst the crush at the entrance. Little by little, however, -they were caught by the stream and only had to yield to the current to -pass the door without being conscious of it, talking louder the while -in order to make themselves heard. They were now asking each other -about Madame Marty; it was said that poor Monsieur Marty, after some -violent scenes at home, had gone quite mad, believing himself endowed -with unexhaustible wealth. He was ever diving into the treasures of the -earth, exhausting mines of gold and loading tumbrils with diamonds and -precious stones.</p> - -<p>"Poor old fellow!" said Madame Guibal, "he who was always so shabby, -with his teacher's humility! And the wife?"</p> - -<p>"She's ruining an uncle, now," replied Henriette, "a worthy old man who -has gone to live with her, since losing his wife. But she must be here, -we shall see her."</p> - -<p>Surprise, however, made the ladies stop short. Before them extended -"the largest shops in the world," as the advertisements said. The grand -central gallery now ran from end to end, opening on to both the Rue du -Dix-Décembre and the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin; whilst to the right and -the left, similar to the aisles of a church, the narrower Monsigny and -Michodière Galleries, extended along the two side streets without a -break. Here and there the halls formed open spaces amidst the metallic -framework of the spiral staircases and hanging bridges. The inside -arrangements had been all changed: the bargains were now placed on the -Rue du Dix-Décembre side, the silk department was in the centre, the -glove department occupied the Saint-Augustin Hall at the far end; and, -from the new grand vestibule, you beheld, on looking up, the bedding -department which had been moved from one to the other end of the second -floor. The number of departments now amounted to the enormous total -of fifty; several, quite fresh, were being inaugurated that very day; -others, which had become too important, had simply been divided, in -order to facilitate the sales; and, owing to the continual increase of -business, the staff had been increased to three thousand and forty-five -employees for the new season.</p> - -<p>What caused the ladies to stop was the prodigious spectacle presented -by the grand exhibition of white goods. In the first place, there was -the vestibule, a hall with bright mirrors, and paved with mosaics, -where the low-priced goods detained the voracious crowd. Then the -galleries opened displaying a glittering blaze of white, a borealistic -vista, a country of snow, with endless steppes hung with ermine, and an -accumulation of glaciers shimmering in the sun. You here again found -the whiteness of the show windows, but vivified, and burning from one -end of the enormous building to the other with the white flame of a -fire in full swing. There was nothing but white goods, all the white -articles from each department, a riot of white, a white constellation -whose fixed radiance was at first blinding, so that details could -not be distinguished. However, the eye soon became accustomed to -this unique whiteness; to the left, in the Monsigny Gallery, white -promontories of cotton and calico jutted out, with white rocks formed -of sheets, napkins, and handkerchiefs; whilst to the right, in the -Michodière Gallery, occupied by the mercery, the hosiery, and the -woollen goods, were erections of mother of pearl buttons, a grand -decoration composed of white socks and one whole room covered with -white swanskin illumined by a stream of light from the distance. But -the greatest radiance of this nucleus of light came from the central -gallery, from amidst the ribbons and the neckerchiefs, the gloves and -the silks. The counters disappeared beneath the whiteness of the silks, -the ribbons, the gloves and the neckerchiefs.</p> - -<p>Round the iron columns climbed "puffings" of white muslin, secured now -and again with white silk handkerchiefs. The staircases were decorated -with white draperies, quiltings and dimities alternating along the -balustrades and encircling the halls as high as the second storey; and -all this ascending whiteness assumed wings, hurried off and wandered -away, like a flight of swans. And more white hung from the arches, a -fall of down, a sheet of large snowy flakes; white counterpanes, white -coverlets hovered in the air, like banners in a church; long jets of -guipure lace hung across, suggestive of swarms of white motionless -butterflies; other laces fluttered on all sides, floating like gossamer -in a summer sky, filling the air with their white breath. And the -marvel, the altar of this religion of white was a tent formed of white -curtains, which hung from the glazed roof above the silk counter, in -the great hall. The muslin, the gauze, the art-guipures flowed in light -ripples, whilst very richly embroidered tulles, and pieces of oriental -silver-worked silk served as a background to this giant decoration, -which partook both of the tabernacle and the alcove. It was like a -broad white bed, awaiting with its virginal immensity, as in the -legend, the coming of the white princess, she who was to appear some -day, all powerful in her white bridal veil.</p> - -<p>"Oh! extraordinary!" repeated the ladies. "Wonderful!"</p> - -<p>They did not weary of this song in praise of whiteness which the goods -of the entire establishment were singing. Mouret had never conceived -anything more vast; it was the master stroke of his genius for display. -Beneath the flow of all this whiteness, amidst the seeming disorder -of the tissues, fallen as if by chance from the open drawers, there -was so to say a harmonious phrase,—white followed and developed in -all its tones: springing into existence, growing, and blossoming with -the complicated orchestration of some master's fugue, the continuous -development of which carries the mind away in an ever-soaring flight. -Nothing but white, and yet never the same white, each different -tinge showing against the other, contrasting with that next to it, -or perfecting it, and attaining to the very brilliancy of light -itself. It all began with the dead white of calico and linen, and the -dull white of flannel and cloth; then came the velvets, silks, and -satins—quite an ascending gamut, the white gradually lighting up and -finally emitting little flashes at its folds; and then it flew away in -the transparencies of the curtains, became diffuse brightness with the -muslins, the guipures, the laces and especially the tulles, so light -and airy that they formed the extreme final note; whilst the silver of -the oriental silk sounded higher than all else in the depths of the -giant alcove.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the place was full of life. The lifts were besieged -by people; there was a crush at the refreshment-bar and in the -reading-room; quite a nation was moving about in these snowy regions. -And the crowd seemed to be black, like skaters on a Polish lake in -December. On the ground-floor there was a heavy swell, ruffled by a -reflux, in which nothing but the delicate enraptured faces of women -could be distinguished. In the gaps of the iron framework, up the -staircases, on the hanging bridges, there was an endless ascent of -small figures which looked as if lost amidst the snowy peaks of -mountains. A suffocating, hot-house heat surprised one at sight of -these frozen heights. The buzz of all the voices made a great noise -like that of a river carrying ice along. Up above, the profusion of -gilding, the glass work and the golden roses seemed like a burst of -sunshine, glittering over the Alps of this grand exhibition of white -goods.</p> - -<p>"Come," said Madame de Boves, "we must go forward. It's impossible to -stay here."</p> - -<p>Since she had entered, inspector Jouve, standing near the door, had -not taken his eyes off her; and when she turned round she encountered -his gaze. Then, as she resumed her walk, he let her gain ground, but -followed her at a distance, without, however, appearing to take any -further notice of her.</p> - -<p>"Ah!" said Madame Guibal again stopping amidst all the jostling as she -came to the first pay-desk, "that's a pretty idea, those violets!"</p> - -<p>She referred to the new present made by The Ladies' Paradise, one of -Mouret's ideas, which was making a great noise in the newspapers: -small bouquets of white violets, bought by the thousand at Nice were -distributed to every lady customer who made the smallest purchase. Near -each pay-desk messengers in uniform stood delivering the bouquets under -the supervision of an inspector. And gradually all the customers were -decorated in this way, the building was filling with these white bridal -flowers, every woman diffusing as she passed a penetrating perfume of -violets.</p> - -<p>"Yes," murmured Madame Desforges, in a jealous voice, "it's a good -idea."</p> - -<p>But, just as they were moving away, they heard two salesmen joking -about these violets. A tall, thin fellow was expressing his -astonishment: was the marriage between the governor and the first-hand -in the costume department coming off, then? whilst a short, fat fellow -replied that he didn't know, but that the flowers were bought at any -rate.</p> - -<p>"What!" exclaimed Madame de Boves, "is Monsieur Mouret going to marry?"</p> - -<p>"That's the latest news," replied Madame Desforges, affecting the -greatest indifference. "However, one's bound to come to that."</p> - -<p>The countess darted a quick glance at her new friend. They both now -understood why Madame Desforges had come to The Ladies' Paradise -notwithstanding the hostilities attending her rupture with Mouret. No -doubt she was yielding to an invincible desire to see and suffer.</p> - -<p>"I shall stay with you," said Madame Guibal, whose curiosity was -awakened. "We can meet Madame de Boves again in the reading-room."</p> - -<p>"Very good," replied the latter. "I want to go up to the first floor. -Come along, Blanche." And she went up followed by her daughter, whilst -inspector Jouve still on her track, ascended by another staircase, -in order not to attract her attention. The two other ladies soon -disappeared in the compact crowd on the ground-floor.</p> - -<p>Amidst the press of business all the counters were again talking of -nothing but the governor's love matters. The affair which had for -months been occupying the employees, who were delighted at Denise's -long resistance, had all at once come to a crisis: since the previous -day it had been known that the girl intended to leave The Ladies' -Paradise, under the pretext of requiring rest, and this despite all -Mouret's entreaties. And opinions were divided. Would she leave? Would -she stay? Bets of five francs that she would leave on the following -Sunday circulated from department to department. The knowing ones -staked a lunch on it all ending in a marriage; yet, the others, those -who believed in her departure, did not risk their money without good -reasons. Certainly the girl had all the power of an adored woman who -refuses to yield; but the governor, on his side, was strong in his -wealth, his happy widowerhood, and his pride, which a last exaction -might exasperate. At all events they were all of opinion that this -little saleswoman had played her game with the science of a expert -woman of the world and was now venturing on the supreme stroke by -offering him this bargain: Marry me, or I go.</p> - -<p>Denise, however, thought but little of these things. She had never -imposed any conditions or made any calculation. And the reason of her -departure was the very judgment which, to her continual surprise, was -passed upon her conduct. Had she wished for all this? Had she shown -herself artful, coquettish, ambitious? No, she had simply presented -herself and had been the first to feel astonished at such a passion. -And again, at the present time, why did they ascribe her resolution to -quit The Ladies' Paradise to craftiness? It was after all so natural! -She had begun to experience a nervous uneasiness, an intolerable -anguish, amidst the continual gossip which went on in the house, and -Mouret's feverish pursuit of her, and the combats she was obliged to -wage against herself; and she preferred to go away, seized with fear -lest she might some day yield and regret it for ever afterwards. If in -all this there were any learned tactics, she was totally unaware of it, -and she asked herself in despair what she might do to avoid appearing -like one who is running after a husband. The idea of a marriage now -irritated her, and she resolved to say no, and still no should he push -his folly to that extent. She alone ought to suffer. The necessity for -the separation caused her tears to flow; but, with her great courage, -she repeated that it was necessary, that she would have no rest or -happiness if she acted in any other way.</p> - -<p>When Mouret received her resignation, he remained mute and cold, in the -effort which he made to contain himself. Then he curtly replied that he -granted her a week's reflection, before allowing her to commit such a -stupid action. At the expiration of the week, when she returned to the -subject, and expressed a determination to go away after the great sale, -he did not lose his temper, but affected to talk the language of reason -to her: she was playing with fortune, she would never find another -position equal to that she was leaving. Had she another situation in -view? If so, he was quite prepared to offer her the advantages she -expected to obtain elsewhere. And when the young woman replied that she -had not looked for any other situation, but intended first of all to -take a rest at Valognes, thanks to the money she had already saved, he -asked her what would prevent her from returning to The Ladies' Paradise -if her health alone were the reason of her departure. She remained -silent, tortured by this cross-examination. And thereupon he imagined -that she was about to join a sweetheart, a future husband perhaps. Had -she not confessed to him one evening that she loved somebody? From -that moment he had been carrying deep in his heart, like the stab of -a knife, the confession wrung from her. And, if this man was to marry -her, she must be giving up all to follow him: that explained her -obstinacy. It was all over; and so he simply added in an icy tone that -he would detain her no longer, since she could not tell him the real -cause of her departure. These harsh words, free from anger, upset her -far more than a violent scene such as she had feared.</p> - -<p>Throughout the remaining week which Denise was obliged to spend in -the house, Mouret preserved his rigid pallor. When he crossed the -departments, he affected not to see her; never had he seemed more -indifferent, more absorbed in his work; and the bets began again, only -the brave ones dared to risk a luncheon on the wedding. Yet, beneath -this coldness, so unusual with him, Mouret hid a frightful attack of -indecision and suffering. Fits of anger brought the blood seething to -his head: he saw red, he dreamed of taking Denise in a close embrace, -keeping her, and stifling her cries. Then he tried to reflect, to -find some practical means of preventing her from going away; but -he constantly ran up against his powerlessness, the uselessness of -his power and money. An idea, however, was growing amidst his wild -projects, and gradually imposing itself on him notwithstanding his -revolt. After Madame Hédouin's death he had sworn never to marry -again; having derived from a woman his first good fortune, he resolved -in future to draw his fortune from all women. It was with him, as -with Bourdoncle, a superstition that the head of a great drapery -establishment ought to remain single, if he wished to retain his -masculine sovereignty over the growing desires of his world of female -customers; for the introduction of a woman to the throne would change -the atmosphere, drive away all the others. Thus, he still resisted the -invincible logic of facts, preferring to die rather than yield, and -inflamed by sudden bursts of fury against Denise, feeling that she -was Revenge and fearing he should fall vanquished upon his millions, -broken like a mere straw by the Eternal Feminine on the day he should -marry her. Then, however, he would become cowardly again, and discuss -his repugnance: why should he tremble? she was so sweet-tempered, so -prudent, that he could abandon himself to her without fear. Twenty -times an hour the battle began afresh in his distracted mind. His pride -tended to irritate the wound, and he completely lost his reason when he -thought that, even after this last submission, she might yet say no, -ever no if she loved another. On the morning of the great sale, he had -still not decided on anything, and Denise was to leave on the morrow.</p> - -<p>When Bourdoncle, on the day in question, entered Mouret's private room -at about three o'clock, according to custom, he found him sitting with -his elbows on his desk, his hands over his eyes, so greatly absorbed -that he had to touch him on the shoulder. Then Mouret glanced up, -his face bathed in tears. They looked at each other, held out their -hands, and a hearty grip was exchanged by these two men who had fought -so many commercial battles side by side. For the past month moreover -Bourdoncle's manner had completely changed; he now bent before Denise, -and even secretly urged the governor on to a marriage with her. No -doubt he was thus manœuvring to save himself from being swept away by -a power which he now recognised as superior. But beneath this change -there could also have been found the awakening of an old ambition, -a timid, gradually growing hope of in his turn swallowing up that -Mouret before whom he had so long bowed. This was in the atmosphere -of the house, in the struggle for existence whose continued massacres -helped on the sales around him. He was carried away by the working of -the machine, seized by the same appetite as the others, that voracity -which, from top to bottom, urged the lean ones to the extermination of -the fat ones. Only a sort of religious fear, the religion of chance, -had so far prevented him from showing his own teeth. But now the -governor was becoming childish, drifting into a ridiculous marriage, -ruining his luck, destroying his charm over the customers. Why should -he dissuade him from it, when he might afterwards so easily pick up the -business of this weakling who fell at the feet of a woman? Thus it was -with the emotion of a farewell, the pity of an old friendship, that he -shook his chief's hand, saying:</p> - -<p>"Come, come, courage! Marry her, and finish the matter."</p> - -<p>But Mouret already felt ashamed of his momentary weakness, and got up, -protesting: "No, no, it's too stupid. Come, let's take a turn round the -place. Things are looking well, aren't they? I fancy we shall have a -magnificent day."</p> - -<p>They went out and began their afternoon inspection of the crowded -departments. Bourdoncle meanwhile cast side glances at his companion, -feeling anxious at this last display of energy and watching his lips -to catch the least sign of suffering. The business was now throwing -forth its fire, with an infernal roar, which made the building tremble -like a big steamer going at full speed. At Denise's counter was a crowd -of mothers with bands of little girls and boys, swamped beneath the -garments they were trying on. The department had brought out all its -white articles, and there, as everywhere else, was a riot of white fit -for the garmenting of a troop of shivering cupids: white cloth cloaks, -white piqué, nainsook and cashmere dresses, white sailor costumes, and -even white Zouave ones. In the centre, for the sake of effect, for the -proper season had not yet arrived, there was a display of confirmation -costumes, white muslin dresses and veils and white satin shoes, a light -gushing florescence like an enormous bouquet of innocence and candid -delight. Madame Bourdelais, with her three children, Madeleine, Edmond -and Lucien, seated according to their size, was getting angry with the -smallest because he continued struggling whilst Denise tried to put a -muslin-de-laine jacket on him.</p> - -<p>"Do keep still! Don't you think it's rather tight, mademoiselle?" she -said; and with the sharp look of a woman difficult to deceive, she -examined the stuff, studied the cut, and scrutinized the seams. "No, -it fits well," she resumed. "It's no trifle to dress all these little -ones. Now I want a mantle for this young lady."</p> - -<p>Denise had been obliged to assist in serving as the customers had -besieged her department in great force. She was looking for the mantle -required, when she set up a cry of surprise.</p> - -<p>"What! It's you! what's the matter?"</p> - -<p>Her brother Jean was standing before her, a parcel in his hand. He -had been married a week before, and on the Saturday his wife, a dark -little woman, with a provoking, charming face, had paid a long visit to -The Ladies' Paradise to make some purchases. The young people were to -accompany Denise to Valognes: it was to be a regular honeymoon trip, a -month's holiday which would remind them of old times.</p> - -<p>"Just fancy," he said, "Thérèse has forgotten a number of things. There -are some articles to be changed, and others to be bought. So, as she -was in a hurry, she sent me with this parcel. I'll explain——"</p> - -<p>But she interrupted him on perceiving Pépé, "What! Pépé too! and his -school?"</p> - -<p>"Well," said Jean, "after dinner on Sunday I had not the heart to -take him back. He will return this evening. The poor child is very -downhearted at the thought of being shut up in Paris whilst we shall be -enjoying ourselves."</p> - -<p>Denise smiled at them, in spite of her suffering. She handed Madame -Bourdelais over to one of her saleswomen and came back to her brothers -in a corner of the department, which was, fortunately, getting clearer. -The youngsters, as she still called them, had now grown to be big -fellows. Pépé at twelve years old, was already taller and stouter than -herself but still taciturn and living on caresses, looking, too, very -gentle in his school-uniform; whilst broad-shouldered Jean, quite a -head taller than his sister, with blonde hair blowing about in the -wind, still retained his feminine good looks. And she, always slim, no -fatter than a skylark, as she said, still retained her anxious motherly -authority over them, treating them as children in need of all her -attention, buttoning up Jean's frock coat so that he should not look -like a rake, and seeing that Pépé had got a clean handkerchief. When -she perceived the latter's swollen eyes, she gently chided him. "You -must be reasonable, my boy. Your studies cannot be interrupted," said -she. "I'll take you away at the holidays. Is there anything you want? -But perhaps you prefer to have the money." Then she turned towards the -other. "And you, youngster, it's your fault, you get making him believe -that we are going to have wonderful fun! Just try to be a little more -reasonable."</p> - -<p>She had given Jean four thousand francs, half of her savings, to enable -him to set up housekeeping. The younger one cost her a great deal for -schooling, indeed all her money went for them, as in former days. They -alone linked her to life and work, for she had again vowed that she -would never marry.</p> - -<p>"Well, here are the things," resumed Jean. "In the first place, there's -a light brown cloak in this parcel that Thérèse——"</p> - -<p>But he stopped, and Denise, on turning round to see what had frightened -him, perceived Mouret standing behind them. For a moment he had been -watching her acting the mother towards the two big boys, scolding -and embracing them and turning them round as mothers do babies when -changing their clothes. Bourdoncle had remained on one side, feigning -to be interested in the sales; but he did not lose sight of this little -scene.</p> - -<p>"They are your brothers, are they not?" asked Mouret, after a silence.</p> - -<p>He had the icy tone and rigid demeanour which he now assumed with her. -Denise herself made an effort to remain cold. Her smile died away, and -she replied: "Yes, sir. I've married off the eldest, and his wife has -sent him for some purchases."</p> - -<p>Mouret continued looking at the three of them. At last he said: "The -youngest has grown very much. I recognise him, I remember having seen -him in the Tuileries Gardens one evening with you."</p> - -<p>Then his voice, which was coming more slowly, slightly trembled. -She, much moved, bent down, pretending to arrange Pépé's belt. Both -brothers, who had turned scarlet, stood smiling at their sister's -employer.</p> - -<p>"They're very much like you," said the latter.</p> - -<p>"Oh!" she exclaimed, "they're much handsomer than I am!"</p> - -<p>For a moment he seemed to be comparing their faces. But he could endure -it no longer. How she loved them! He walked on a step or two; then -returned and whispered in her ear: "Come to my office after business. I -want to speak to you before you go away."</p> - -<p>This time, Mouret went off and continued his inspection. The battle -was once more raging within him, for the appointment he had just given -caused him a sort of irritation. To what idea had he yielded on seeing -her with her brothers? It was maddening to think that he could no -longer find the strength to assert his will. However, he could settle -it by saying a few words of farewell. Bourdoncle, who had rejoined him, -seemed less anxious, though he was still examining him with stealthy -glances.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, Denise had returned to Madame Bourdelais. "Does the mantle -suit you, madame?" she inquired.</p> - -<p>"Oh yes, very well. That's quite enough for one day. These little ones -are ruining me!"</p> - -<p>Denise, now being able to slip off, went to listen to Jean's -explanations, and then accompanied him to the various counters, where -he would certainly have lost his head without her. First came the brown -jacket, which Thérèse now wished to change for a white cloth one of the -same size and same shape. And the young woman, having taken the parcel, -went to the mantle department, followed by her two brothers.</p> - -<p>The department had laid out all its light coloured garments, summer -jackets and capes, of light silk and fancy woollens. But there was -little doing there, the customers were but few and far between. Nearly -all the saleswomen were new-comers. Clara had disappeared a month -before, and some said that she had altogether gone to the bad. As for -Marguerite, she was at last about to assume the management of the -little shop at Grenoble, where her cousin was waiting for her. Madame -Aurélie alone remained there immutable, in the curved cuirass of her -silk dress and with her imperial face retaining the yellowish puffiness -of an antique marble. However, her son Albert's bad conduct was a -source of great trouble to her, and she would have retired into the -country had it not been for the inroads made on the family savings by -this scapegrace, whose terrible extravagance threatened to swallow up -the Rigolles property piece by piece. It was a sort of punishment on -them, for breaking up their home, for the mother had resumed her little -excursions with her lady friends, and the father on his side continued -his musical performances. Bourdoncle was already looking at Madame -Aurélie with a discontented air, surprised that she lacked the tact to -resign: too old for business, such was his opinion; the knell was about -to sound which would sweep away the Lhomme dynasty.</p> - -<p>"Ah! it's you," said she to Denise, with exaggerated amiability. "You -want this cloak changed, eh? Certainly, at once. Ah! there are your -brothers; getting quite men, I declare!"</p> - -<p>In spite of her pride, she would have gone on her knees to pay her -court to the young woman. In her department, as in the others, nothing -but Denise's departure was being talked of; and the first-hand was -quite ill over it, for she had been reckoning on the protection of her -former saleswoman. She lowered her voice to say: "It's reported you're -going to leave us. Really, it isn't possible?"</p> - -<p>"But it is, though," replied Denise.</p> - -<p>Marguerite was listening. Since her marriage had been decided on, -she had marched about with more disdainful airs than ever on her -putty-looking face. And she came up saying: "You are quite right. -Self-respect above everything, I say. Allow me to bid you adieu, my -dear."</p> - -<p>Some customers arriving at that moment, Madame Aurélie requested her, -in a harsh voice, to attend to business. Then, as Denise was taking -the cloak to effect the "return" herself, she protested, and called an -auxiliary. This, again, was an innovation suggested to Mouret by the -young woman—the engagement of persons to carry the articles about, -thus relieving the saleswomen of much fatigue.</p> - -<p>"Go with Mademoiselle," said the first-hand, giving the auxiliary the -cloak. Then, returning to Denise, she added: "Pray consider the matter -well. We are all heart-broken at your leaving."</p> - -<p>Jean and Pépé, who were waiting, smiling amidst this overflowing -torrent of women, followed their sister. They now had to go to the -under-linen department, to get four chemises like the half-dozen which -Thérèse had bought on the Saturday. But there, where the exhibition -of white goods was snowing down from every shelf, they were almost -stifled, and found it very difficult to get along.</p> - -<p>In the first place, at the corset counter a little scene was collecting -quite a crowd. Madame Boutarel, who had arrived in Paris from the -south, this time with her husband and daughter, had been wandering all -over the place since morning, collecting an outfit for the young lady, -who was about to be married. The father was consulted at every turn -so that it seemed they would never finish. At last they had stranded -here; and whilst the young lady was absorbed in a profound study of -some undergarments, the mother had disappeared, having cast her eyes -on some corsets she herself fancied. When Monsieur Boutarel, a big, -full-blooded man, quite bewildered, left his daughter to search for -his wife, he at last found her in a sitting-room, at the door of which -he was politely invited to take a seat. These rooms were like narrow -cells, glazed with ground glass, and not even husbands were allowed to -enter them. Saleswomen came out and went in quickly, closing the doors -behind them, while men waited outside, seated in rows on arm-chairs, -and looking very weary. Monsieur Boutarel, when he understood matters, -got really angry, crying out that he wanted his wife, and insisting on -knowing what they had done with her. It was in vain that they tried to -calm him. Madame Boutarel was obliged to come out, to the delight of -the crowd, which was discussing and laughing over the affair.</p> - -<p>Denise and her brothers were at last able to get past. Every article -of ladies' underwear was here displayed in a suite of rooms classified -into various departments. The corsets and dress-improvers occupied one -counter, there were hand-sown corsets, Duchess, cuirass, and, above -all, white silk corsets, fan-pointed with divers colours, these latter -forming a special display, an army of dummies without heads or legs, -nothing indeed but busts; and close by were horse-hair and other dress -improvers, often of fantastic aspect. But afterwards came articles -of fine linen, white cuffs and cravats, white fichus and collars, an -infinite variety of light trifles, a white foam which escaped from the -boxes and was heaped up like so much snow. There were loose jackets, -little bodices, morning gowns and peignoirs in linen, nainsook, and -lace, long white roomy garments, which spoke of the morning lounge. -Then appeared white petticoats of every length, the petticoat that -clings to the knees, and the long petticoat which sweeps the pavement, -a rising sea of petticoats, in which one lost oneself.</p> - -<p>At the trousseau department there was a wonderful display of pleating, -embroidery, valenciennes, percale and Cambric; and then followed -another room devoted to baby-linen, where the voluptuous whiteness of -woman's clothing developed into the chaste whiteness of infancy—an -innocence, a joy, the young wife become a mother, amidst flannel coifs, -chemises and caps like dolls' things, christening gowns, cashmere -pelisses, indeed all the white down of birth, like a fine shower of -white feathers.</p> - -<p>"They are chemises with running-strings," said Jean, who was delighted -with the rising tide of feminine attire about him.</p> - -<p>However, Pauline ran up as soon as she perceived Denise; and before -even asking what she wanted, began to talk in a low tone, stirred as -she was by the rumours circulating in the building. In her department, -two saleswomen had even got to quarrelling over it, one affirming and -the other denying the favourite's departure.</p> - -<p>"You'll stay with us, I'll stake my life. What would become of me?" -said Pauline; and as Denise replied that she intended to leave the -next day: "No, no," the other added, "you think so, but I know better. -You must appoint me second-hand, now that I've got my baby. Baugé is -reckoning on it, my dear."</p> - -<p>Pauline smiled with an air of conviction. Then she gave the six -chemises; and, Jean having said that he must next go to the -handkerchief counter, she called an auxiliary to carry both the -chemises and the jacket left by the auxiliary from the mantle -department. The woman who happened to answer was Mademoiselle de -Fontenailles, recently married to Joseph. She had just obtained this -menial situation as a great favour, and she wore a long black blouse, -marked on the shoulder with a number in yellow wool.</p> - -<p>"Follow mademoiselle," said Pauline, and then returning to Denise and -again lowering her voice, she added: "It's understood that I am to be -appointed second-hand, eh?"</p> - -<p>Denise promised, with a laugh, by way of joking in her turn. And she -went off, going down the stairs with Jean and Pépé, all three followed -by the auxiliary. On the ground-floor, they found themselves in the -woollen department, a gallery entirely hung with white swanskin cloth -and white flannel. Liénard, whom his father had vainly recalled to -Angers, was talking to the handsome Mignot who was now a traveller, -and had boldly reappeared at The Ladies' Paradise. No doubt they were -speaking of Denise, for they both stopped talking to bow to her with -a ceremonious air. In fact, as she passed through the departments the -salesmen appeared full of emotion and bent their heads before her, -uncertain as they were what she might be the next day. They whispered -and thought she looked triumphant; and the betting was once more -altered; they again risked bottles of Argenteuil wine and fish dinners -over the event. She had entered the linen-gallery in order to get -to the handkerchief counter, which was at the further end. The show -of white goods continued: cottons, madapolams, dimities, quiltings, -calicoes, nainsooks, muslins, tarlatans; then came the linen, in -enormous piles, the pieces ranged alternately like blocks of stone: -stout linen, fine linen, of all widths, white and unbleached, some of -pure flax, whitened in the sun; next the same thing commenced once -more, there were departments for each sort of linen: house linen, -table linen, kitchen linen, a continual crush of white goods, sheets, -pillow-cases, innumerable styles of napkins, table-cloths, aprons, and -dusters. And the bowing continued, all made way for Denise to pass, -while Baugé rushed out to smile on her, as on the good fairy of the -house. At last, after crossing the counterpane department, a room -hung with white banners, she arrived at the handkerchief counter, the -ingenious decoration of which delighted the throng; everything here was -arranged in white columns, white pyramids, white castles, an intricate -architecture, solely composed of handkerchiefs, some of lawn, others -of cambric, Irish linen, or China silk, some marked, some embroidered -by hand, some trimmed with lace, some hemstitched, and some woven -with vignettes; the whole forming a city of white bricks of infinite -variety, standing out mirage-like against an Eastern sky, warmed to a -white heat.</p> - -<p>"You say another dozen?" asked Denise of her brother. "Cholet -handkerchiefs, eh?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, like this one," he replied, showing a handkerchief in his parcel.</p> - -<p>Jean and Pépé had not quitted her side, but clung to her as they had -done formerly on arriving in Paris, knocked up by their journey. This -vast establishment, in which she was quite at home, ended by troubling -them; and they sheltered themselves in her shadow, placing themselves -again under the protection of this second mother of theirs as in an -instinctive re-awakening of their infancy. The employees watching -them as they passed, smiled at those two big fellows following in the -footsteps of that grave slim girl; Jean frightened in spite of his -beard, Pépé bewildered in his tunic, and all three of the same fair -complexion, a fairness which made a whisper run from one end of the -counters to the other: "They are her brothers! They are her brothers!"</p> - -<p>But, whilst Denise was looking for a salesman, there occurred another -meeting. Mouret and Bourdoncle had entered the gallery; and as the -former again stopped in front of the young woman, without, however, -speaking to her, Madame Desforges and Madame Guibal passed by. -Henriette suppressed the quiver which had invaded her whole being; -she looked at Mouret and then at Denise. They also had looked at her, -and it was a sort of mute <i>dénouement</i>, the common end of many great -dramas of the heart,—a glance exchanged in the crush of a crowd. -Mouret had already moved off, whilst Denise strayed into the depths -of the department, accompanied by her brothers and still in search -of a disengaged salesman. But in the auxiliary following Denise, -with a yellow number on her shoulder, and a coarse, cadaverous, -servant's-looking face, Henriette had recognised Mademoiselle de -Fontenailles, and relieved herself by saying to Madame Guibal, in an -angry voice:</p> - -<p>"Just see what he's doing with that unfortunate girl. Isn't it -shameful? A marchioness! And he makes her follow like a dog the -creatures he has picked up in the street!" Then she tried to calm -herself, adding, with an affected air of indifference: "Let's go and -see their display of silks."</p> - -<p>The silk department was like a great chamber of love, hung with white -by the caprice of some snowy maiden wishing to show off her own -spotless whiteness. Pieces of velvet hung from the columns, forming -a creamy white background against which silk and satin draperies -showed with a metallic and porcelain-like whiteness; and there were -also festoons of poult and gros grain silks, light foulards and -surahs, which varied from the dull white of a Norwegian blonde to the -transparent white, warmed by the sun, of a fair Italian or Spanish -beauty.</p> - -<p>Favier was just then engaged in measuring some white silk for "the -pretty lady," that elegant blonde who was such a frequent customer -at the counter, and whom the salesmen never referred to except by -that name. She had dealt at the shop for years, and yet they knew -nothing about her—neither her condition of life, her address, nor -even her name. None of them, in fact, tried to find out, although -every time she made her appearance they all indulged in suppositions -just for something to talk about. She was getting thinner, she was -getting stouter, she had slept well, or she must have been out late -the previous evening; indeed every little incident of her unknown -life, outdoor events and domestic dramas alike, found an echo at the -Paradise, and was commented on. That day, she seemed very gay; and so, -on returning from the pay-desk whither he had conducted her, Favier -remarked to Hutin: "Perhaps she's going to marry again."</p> - -<p>"What! is she a widow?" asked the other.</p> - -<p>"I don't know; but you must remember the time she was in mourning. -Perhaps she's made some money by speculating on the Bourse." A silence -ensued. At last he ended by saying: "However, that's her business. It -wouldn't do to take notice of all the women we see here."</p> - -<p>But Hutin was looking very thoughtful, for two days before, he had had -a warm discussion with the managers, and felt himself condemned. After -the great sale his dismissal was certain. For a long time he had felt -his position giving way. At the last stock-taking they had complained -that he had not even transacted the amount of business fixed in -advance; and moreover he was threatened by the appetites of the others, -now slowly devouring him in his turn—by all the silent warfare which -was waged in the department, amidst the very motion of the machine. -Favier's secret undermining could be heard, like a muffled sound of -jaw-bones at work underground. He had already received the promise of -the first-hand's place, but Hutin, who was aware of it, instead of -attacking his old comrade looked upon him as a clever fellow. To think -of it! A chap who had always appeared so cold, so humble, whom he had -made such use of to turn out both Robineau and Bouthemont! He was full -of mingled surprise and respect.</p> - -<p>"By the way," all at once resumed Favier, "she's going to stay, you -know. The governor has just been seen casting sheep's eyes at her. I -shall be let in for a bottle of champagne over it."</p> - -<p>He referred to Denise. The gossip was going on more than ever, passing -from one counter to the other, through the constantly increasing crowd -of customers. The silk salesmen were especially excited, for they had -been indulging in heavy bets on the affair.</p> - -<p>"By Jove!" exclaimed Hutin, waking up as if from a dream, "wasn't I a -flat not to pay court to her! I should be all right now!"</p> - -<p>Then on seeing Favier laugh he blushed at this confession, and -pretended to laugh himself, adding, as though to recall his words, that -it was she who had ruined him with the management. Then a desire for -violence seizing hold of him, he finished by getting into a rage with -the salesmen whom the assault of the customers had disbanded. But all -at once he again smiled, having just perceived Madame Desforges and -Madame Guibal slowly crossing the department.</p> - -<p>"What can we serve you with to-day, madame?"</p> - -<p>"Nothing, thanks," replied Henriette. "You see I'm merely walking -round; I've only come out of curiosity."</p> - -<p>However, he succeeded in stopping her, and lowered his voice. Quite a -plan was springing up in his head. He began to flatter her and run down -the house; he had had enough of it, and preferred to go away rather -than remain a witness of such disorder. She listened, delighted. It -was she herself who, thinking to deprive The Ladies' Paradise of his -services offered to get him engaged by Bouthemont as first-hand in the -silk department when The Four Seasons should start again. The matter -was settled in whispers, whilst Madame Guibal interested herself in the -displays.</p> - -<p>"May I offer you one of these bouquets of violets?" resumed Hutin, -aloud, pointing to a table where there were four or five bunches of the -flowers, which he had procured from a pay-desk for personal presents.</p> - -<p>"Ah, no, indeed!" exclaimed Henriette, recoiling. "I don't wish to take -any part in the wedding."</p> - -<p>They understood each other, and separated with a laugh, exchanging -glances of intelligence. Then as Madame Desforges began looking for -Madame Guibal, she set up an exclamation of surprise on seeing her -with Madame Marty. The latter, followed by her daughter Valentine, -had for the last two hours been carried through the place by one of -those spending fits whence she always emerged weary and bewildered. -She had roamed about the furniture department which a show of white -lacquered good had changed into a vast virginal chamber, the ribbon and -neckerchief departments which formed white colonnades, the mercery and -trimming departments with white fringes surrounding ingenious trophies -patiently built up of cards of buttons and packets of needles, and the -hosiery department in which there was a great crush that year to see -an immense piece of decoration—the resplendent name of "The Ladies' -Paradise" in letters three yards high, formed of white socks on a -groundwork of red ones. But Madame Marty was especially excited by the -new departments; they could indeed never open a new department but she -must inaugurate it, she was bound to plunge in and buy something. And -so at the millinery counter installed in a new room on the first-floor -she had spent an hour in having the cupboards emptied, taking the -bonnets off the stands ranged on a couple of tables, and trying all -of them, white hats, white bonnets and white togues, on herself and -her daughter. Then she had gone down to the boot department, at the -further end of a gallery on the ground-floor, behind the cravats, a -counter which had been opened that day, and which she had turned topsy -turvy, seized with sickly desire in presence of the white silk slippers -trimmed with swansdown and the white satin boots and shoes with high -Louis XV. heels.</p> - -<p>"Oh! my dear," she stammered, "you've no idea! They have a wonderful -assortment of bonnets. I've chosen one for myself and one for my -daughter. And the boots, eh? Valentine."</p> - -<p>"They're marvellous!" added the latter, with the boldness of one who is -at last married. "There are some boots at twenty francs and a half the -pair which are delicious!"</p> - -<p>A salesman was following them, dragging along the eternal chair, on -which a mountain of articles was already heaped.</p> - -<p>"How is Monsieur Marty?" asked Madame Desforges.</p> - -<p>"Very well, I believe," replied Madame Marty, scared by this abrupt -question, which fell ill-naturedly amidst her rage for spending. "He's -still shut up, you know; my uncle was to go to see him this morning."</p> - -<p>Then she paused and exclaimed: "Oh, look! isn't it lovely?"</p> - -<p>The ladies, who had gone on a few steps, found themselves before the -new flowers and feathers department, installed in the central gallery, -between the silks and the gloves. Under the bright light from the glass -roof there appeared an enormous florescence, a white sheaf, tall and -broad as an oak. The base was formed of single flowers, violets, lilies -of the valley, hyacinths, daisies, all the delicate white blossoms of -the garden. Then came bouquets, white roses softened by a fleshy tint, -great white peonies slightly shaded with carmine, white chrysanthemums -with narrow petals and starred with yellow. And the flowers still -ascended, great mystical lilies, branches of apple blossom, bunches of -white lilac, a continual blossoming surmounted at the height of the -first storey by tufts of ostrich feathers, white plumes, which seemed -like the airy breath of this collection of white flowers. One corner -was devoted to the display of trimmings and orange-flower wreaths. -There were also metallic flowers, silver thistles and silver ears of -corn. And amidst the foliage and the petals, amidst all the muslin, -silk, and velvet, in which drops of gum set drops of dew, fluttered -birds of Paradise for the trimming of hats, purple Tanagers with black -tails, and Kingbirds with changing rainbow-like plumage.</p> - -<p>"I'm going to buy a branch of apple-blossom," resumed Madame Marty. -"It's delicious, isn't it? And that little bird, do look, Valentine! I -must take it!"</p> - -<p>However, Madame Guibal began to feel tired of standing still in the -eddying crowd, and at last exclaimed:</p> - -<p>"Well, we'll leave you to make your purchases. We're going upstairs."</p> - -<p>"No, no, wait for me!" cried the other, "I'm going up too. There's the -perfumery department upstairs, I must see that."</p> - -<p>This department, created the day before, was next door to the -reading-room. Madame Desforges, to avoid the crush on the stairs, spoke -of going up in the lift; but they had to abandon the idea, there were -so many people waiting their turn. At last they arrived, passing before -the public refreshment bar, where the crowd was becoming so great -that an inspector had to restrain the outburst of appetite by only -allowing the gluttonous customers to enter in small groups. And from -this point the ladies already began to smell the perfumery department, -for its penetrating odour scented the whole gallery. There was quite a -struggle over one article, The Paradise Soap, a specialty of the house. -In the show cases, and on the crystal tablets of the shelves, were -ranged pots of pomade and paste, boxes of powder and paint, phials of -oil and toilet vinegar; whilst the fine brushes, combs, scissors, and -smelling-bottles occupied a special place. The salesmen had managed to -decorate the shelves exclusively with white porcelain pots and white -glass bottles. But what delighted the customers above all was a silver -fountain in the centre, a shepherdess standing on a harvest of flowers, -whence flowed a continuous stream of violet water, which fell with a -musical plash into the metal basin. An exquisite odour was diffused -around and the ladies dipped their handkerchiefs in the scent as they -passed.</p> - -<p>"There!" said Madame Marty, when she had loaded herself with lotions, -dentrifices, and cosmetics. "Now I've done, I'm at your service. Let's -go and rejoin Madame de Boves."</p> - -<p>However, on the landing of the great central staircase they were again -stopped by the Japanese department. This counter had grown wonderfully -since the day when Mouret had amused himself by setting up, in the -same place, a little "proposition" table, covered with a few soiled -articles, without at all foreseeing its future success. Few departments -had had more modest beginnings and yet now it overflowed with old -bronzes, old ivories and old lacquer work; it did fifteen hundred -thousand francs' worth of business a year, ransacking the Far East, -where travellers pillaged the palaces and the temples for it. Besides, -fresh departments were always springing up, they had tried two new ones -in December, in order to fill up the empty spaces caused by the dead -winter season—a book department and a toy department, which would -certainly expand and sweep away certain shops in the neighbourhood. -Four years had sufficed for the Japanese department to attract the -entire artistic custom of Paris. This time Madame Desforges herself, -notwithstanding the rancour which had made her vow not to buy anything, -succumbed before some finely carved ivory.</p> - -<p>"Send it to my house," said she rapidly, at a neighbouring pay-desk. -"Ninety francs, is it not?" And, seeing Madame Marty and her daughter -busy with a lot of trashy porcelains, she resumed, as she carried off -Madame Guibal, "You will find us in the reading-room, I really must sit -down a little while."</p> - -<p>In the reading-room, however, they were obliged to remain standing. All -the chairs round the large table covered with newspapers were occupied. -Great fat fellows were reading and lolling about without even thinking -of giving up their seats to the ladies. A few women were writing, their -faces almost on the paper, as if to conceal their letters under the -flowers of their hats. Madame de Boves was not there, and Henriette was -getting impatient when she perceived Vallagnosc, who was also looking -for his wife and mother-in-law. He bowed, and said: "They must be in -the lace department—impossible to drag them away. I'll just see." And -he was gallant enough to procure the others two chairs before going off.</p> - -<p>In the lace department the crush was increasing every minute. The -great show of white was there triumphing in its most delicate and -costly whiteness. Here was the supreme temptation, the goading of a -mad desire, which bewildered all the women. The department had been -turned into a white temple; tulles and guipures, falling from above, -formed a white sky, one of those cloudy veils whose fine network pales -the morning sun. Round the columns descended flounces of Malines and -Valenciennes, white dancers' skirts, unfolding in a snowy shiver to the -floor. Then on all sides, on every counter there were snowy masses of -white Spanish blonde as light as air, Brussels with large flowers on a -delicate mesh, hand-made point, and Venice point with heavier designs, -Alençon point, and Bruges of royal and almost sacred richness. It -seemed as if the god of finery had here set up his white tabernacle.</p> - -<p>Madame de Boves, after wandering about before the counters for a long -time with her daughter, and feeling a sensual longing to plunge her -hands into the goods, had just made up her mind to request Deloche to -show her some Alençon point. At first he brought out some imitation -stuff; but she wished to see real Alençon, and was not satisfied -with narrow pieces at three hundred francs the yard, but insisted on -examining deep flounces at a thousand francs a yard and handkerchiefs -and fans at seven and eight hundred francs. The counter was soon -covered with a fortune. In a corner of the department inspector Jouve -who had not lost sight of Madame de Boves, notwithstanding the latter's -apparent dawdling, stood amidst the crowd, with an indifferent air, but -still keeping a sharp eye on her.</p> - -<p>"Have you any capes in hand-made point?" she at last inquired; "show me -some, please."</p> - -<p>The salesman, whom she had kept there for twenty minutes, dared not -resist, for she appeared so aristocratic, with her imposing air and -princess's voice. However, he hesitated, for the employees were -cautioned against heaping up these precious fabrics, and he had allowed -himself to be robbed of ten yards of Malines only the week before. But -she perturbed him, so he yielded, and abandoned the Alençon point for a -moment in order to take the lace she had asked for from a drawer.</p> - -<p>"Oh! look, mamma," said Blanche, who was ransacking a box close -by, full of cheap Valenciennes, "we might take some of this for -pillow-cases."</p> - -<p>Madame de Boves did not reply and her daughter on turning her flabby -face saw her, with her hands plunged amidst the lace, slipping some -Alençon flounces up the sleeve of her mantle. Blanche did not appear -surprised, however, but moved forward instinctively to conceal her -mother, when Jouve suddenly stood before them. He leant over, and -politely murmured in the countess's ear,</p> - -<p>"Have the kindness to follow me, madame."</p> - -<p>For a moment she revolted: "But what for, sir?"</p> - -<p>"Have the kindness to follow me, madame," repeated the inspector, -without raising his voice.</p> - -<p>With her face full of anguish, she threw a rapid glance around her. -Then all at once she resigned herself, resumed her haughty bearing, -and walked away by his side like a queen who deigns to accept the -services of an aide-de-camp. Not one of the many customers had observed -the scene, and Deloche, on turning to the counter, looked at her as -she was walked off, his mouth wide open with astonishment. What! that -one as well! that noble-looking lady! Really it was time to have them -all searched! And Blanche, who was left free, followed her mother at -a distance, lingering amidst the sea of faces, livid, and hesitating -between the duty of not deserting her mother and the terror of being -detained with her. At last she saw her enter Bourdoncle's office, and -then contented herself with walking about near the door. Bourdoncle, -whom Mouret had just got rid of, happened to be there. As a rule, -he dealt with robberies of this sort when committed by persons of -distinction. Jouve had long been watching this lady, and had informed -him of it, so that he was not astonished when the inspector briefly -explained the matter to him; in fact, such extraordinary cases passed -through his hands that he declared woman to be capable of anything, -once the passion for finery had seized upon her. As he was aware of -Mouret's acquaintance with the thief, he treated her with the utmost -politeness.</p> - -<p>"We excuse these moments of weakness, madame," said he. "But pray -consider the consequences of such a thing. Suppose some one else had -seen you slip this lace——"</p> - -<p>But she interrupted him in great indignation. She a thief! What -did he take her for? She was the Countess de Boves, her husband, -Inspector-General of the State Studs, was received at Court.</p> - -<p>"I know it, I know it, madame," repeated Bourdoncle, quietly. "I have -the honour of knowing you. In the first place, will you kindly give up -the lace you have on you?"</p> - -<p>But, not allowing him to say another word she again protested, handsome -in her violence, even shedding tears like some great lady vilely and -wrongfully accused. Any one else but he would have been shaken and have -feared some deplorable mistake, for she threatened to go to law to -avenge such an insult.</p> - -<p>"Take care, sir, my husband will certainly appeal to the Minister."</p> - -<p>"Come, you are not more reasonable than the others," declared -Bourdoncle, losing patience. "We must search you."</p> - -<p>Still she did not yield, but with superb assurance, declared: "Very -good, search me. But I warn you, you are risking your house."</p> - -<p>Jouve went to fetch two saleswomen from the corset department. When -he returned, he informed Bourdoncle that the lady's daughter, left at -liberty, had not quitted the doorway, and asked if she also should be -detained, although he had not seen her take anything. The manager, -however, who always did things in a fitting way, decided that she -should not be brought in, in order not to cause her mother to blush -before her. The two men retired into a neighbouring room, whilst the -saleswomen searched the countess. Besides the twelve yards of Alençon -point at a thousand francs the yard concealed in her sleeve, they found -upon her a handkerchief, a fan, and a cravat, making a total of about -fourteen thousand francs' worth of lace. She had been stealing like -this for the last year, ravaged by a furious, irresistible passion -for dress. These fits got worse, growing daily, sweeping away all the -reasonings of prudence; and the enjoyment she felt in the indulgence -of them was the more violent from the fact that she was risking before -the eyes of a crowd her name, her pride, and her husband's high -position. Now that the latter allowed her to empty his drawers, she -stole although she had her pockets full of money, she stole for the -mere pleasure of stealing, goaded on by desire, urged on by the species -of kleptomania which her unsatisfied luxurious tastes had formerly -developed in her at sight of the vast brutal temptations of the big -shops.<a name="FNanchor_1_5" id="FNanchor_1_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_5" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_5" id="Footnote_1_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_5"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> The manager of one of the great London drapery houses -was telling me, recently, that the same kind of thing is far less -infrequent than might be imagined among certain English women of -fashion. And he added that these affairs are as a rule hushed up, even -as they are hushed up in Paris. <i>Trans.</i></p></div> - -<p>"It's a trap," cried she, when Bourdoncle and Jouve came in. "This lace -was placed on me, I swear it before Heaven."</p> - -<p>She was now shedding tears of rage, and fell on a chair, suffocating. -Bourdoncle sent the saleswomen away and resumed, with his quiet air: -"We are quite willing, madame, to hush up this painful affair for the -sake of your family. But you must first sign a paper thus worded: -'I have stolen some lace from The Ladies' Paradise,' followed by -particulars of the lace, and the date. However, I shall be happy to -return you this document whenever you like to bring me a sum of two -thousand francs for the poor."</p> - -<p>She again rose and declared in a fresh outburst: "I'll never sign that, -I'd rather die."</p> - -<p>"You won't die, madame; but I warn you that I shall shortly send for -the police."</p> - -<p>Then followed a frightful scene. She insulted him, she stammered that -it was cowardly for a man to torture a woman in that way. Her Juno-like -beauty, her tall majestic person was distorted by vulgar rage. Then she -tried to soften him and Jouve, entreating them in the name of their -mothers, and speaking of dragging herself at their feet. And as they, -however, remained quite unmoved, hardened by custom, she all at once -sat down and began to write with a trembling hand. The pen sputtered; -the words "I have stolen," madly, wildly written, went almost through -the thin paper, whilst she repeated in a choking voice: "There, sir, -there. I yield to force."</p> - -<p>Bourdoncle took the paper, carefully folded it, and put it in a drawer, -saying: "You see it's in company; for ladies, after talking of dying -rather than signing, generally forget to come and redeem these <i>billets -doux</i> of theirs. However, I hold it at your disposal. You'll be able to -judge whether it's worth two thousand francs."</p> - -<p>But now that she had paid the forfeit she became as arrogant as ever. -"I can go now?" she asked, in a sharp tone.</p> - -<p>Bourdoncle was already occupied with other business. On Jouve's report, -he decided on the dismissal of Deloche, a stupid fellow, who was always -being robbed and who never had any authority over customers. Madame -de Boves repeated her question, and as they dismissed her with an -affirmative nod, she enveloped both of them in a murderous glance. Of -the flood of insulting words that she kept back, one melodramatic cry -escaped her lips. "Wretches!" said she, banging the door after her.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Blanche had not strayed far from the office. Her ignorance -of what was going on inside and the coming and going of Jouve and the -two saleswomen frightened her; she had visions of the police, the -assize court, and the prison. But all at once she stopped short: for -Vallagnosc was before her, that husband whom she had married but a -month previously, and with whom she still felt rather awkward. And he -questioned her, astonished at her bewildered appearance.</p> - -<p>"Where's your mother? Have you lost each other? Come, tell me, you make -me feel anxious."</p> - -<p>Nothing in the way of a colourable fiction presented itself to her -mind, and in great distress she told him everything in a low voice: -"Mamma, mamma—she has been stealing."</p> - -<p>"What! stealing?" At last he understood. His wife's bloated, livid -countenance, ravaged by fear, terrified him.</p> - -<p>"Some lace, like that, up her sleeve," she continued stammering.</p> - -<p>"You saw her, then? You were looking on?" he murmured, chilled to feel -that she had been a sort of accomplice.</p> - -<p>They had to stop talking as several persons were already turning round. -Hesitation full of anguish kept Vallagnosc motionless for a moment. -What was to be done? He had made up his mind to go into Bourdoncle's -office, when he perceived Mouret crossing the gallery. Thereupon, -after telling his wife to wait for him, he caught hold of his old -friend's arm and informed him of the affair, in broken sentences. The -latter hastily took him into his office, where he soon put him at -rest as to the possible consequences. He assured him that he need not -interfere, and without appearing at all excited about this robbery, -as if he had foreseen it long ago, he explained in what way it would -all be arranged. Vallagnosc, however, even when he no longer feared -an immediate arrest, did not accept the affair with this admirable -coolness. He had thrown himself into an arm-chair, and now that he -could discuss the matter, began to lament his own unfortunate position. -Was it possible that he had married into a family of thieves? A stupid -marriage that he had drifted into, just to please his wife's father! -Surprised by his childish violence, Mouret watched him weeping, -thinking the while of his former pessimist boasting. Had he not scores -of times proclaimed the nothingness of life, in which wrong-doing alone -had any attraction? And by way of diversion Mouret amused himself for -a minute, by preaching indifference to his friend, in a friendly, -bantering tone. But at this Vallagnosc got angry: he was quite unable -to recover his philosophy, and with his middle-class breeding burst -into virtuously indignant cries against his mother-in-law. As soon -as trouble fell on himself, as soon as he was just touched by human -suffering, at which he had always coldly laughed, the boastful sceptic -collapsed and bled. It was abominable, they were dragging the honour of -his race into the gutter, the world seemed to be coming to an end.</p> - -<p>"Come, calm yourself," concluded Mouret, stricken with pity. "I won't -tell you that everything happens and nothing happens, because that does -not seem to comfort you just now. But I think that you ought to go and -offer your arm to Madame de Boves—that would be more sensible than -causing a scandal. The deuce! to think of it, you who professed such -scorn for the universal rascality of the present day!"</p> - -<p>"Of course," cried Vallagnosc, innocently, "when it is a question of -other people!"</p> - -<p>However, he got up, and followed his old school-fellow's advice. -Both were returning to the gallery when Madame de Boves came out of -Bourdoncle's office. She accepted her son-in-law's arm with a majestic -air, and as Mouret bowed to her with respectful gallantry, he heard -her saying: "They've apologized to me. Really, these mistakes are -abominable."</p> - -<p>Blanche joined them, and they soon disappeared in the crowd. Then -Mouret, alone and pensive, crossed the shop once more. This scene, -which had diverted his thoughts from the struggle going on within him, -now increased his fever, and decided him to make a supreme effort. A -vague connection arose in his mind: the robbery perpetrated by that -unfortunate woman, that last folly of the conquered customer laid low -at the feet of the tempter, evoked the proud and avenging image of -Denise, whose victorious heel he could feel upon his throat. He stopped -at the top of the central staircase, and gazed for a long time into the -immense nave, where his nation of women was swarming.</p> - -<p>Six o'clock was about to strike, the daylight decreasing out-of-doors -was gradually forsaking the covered galleries, already dim, and even -waning in the halls which gloom was slowly invading. And in this -uncertain glimmer, the electric lamps lighted up one by one, their -globes of an opaque whiteness studding with moons the distant depths -of the departments. It was a white brightness of a blinding fixity, -spreading like the radiance of a discoloured star and killing the -twilight. Then, when all were lighted, there came a delighted murmur -from the crowd, and the great show of white goods assumed a fairy -splendour. It seemed as if this colossal orgie of white was also -burning, itself becoming so much light. The song of the white seemed -to soar upward in the flaming whiteness of an aurora. A white glimmer -darted from the linen and calico department in the Monsigny Gallery, -like the first bright streak which lights up the eastern sky; whilst -along the Michodière Gallery, the mercery and the passementerie, -the fancy-goods and the ribbons threw out reflections of distant -hills—with the white flash of mother-of-pearl buttons, silvered -bronzes and sparkling beads. But the central nave especially was -filled with a blaze of white: the white muslin "puffings" round the -columns, the white dimities and piqués draping the staircases, the -white counterpanes drooping like banners, the white guipures and laces -flying in the air, opened up a firmament of dreamland, a vista of the -dazzling whiteness of some paradise, where the marriage of an unknown -queen was being celebrated. The tent of the silk-hall was this heaven's -giant alcove, with white curtains, white gauzes and white tulles, whose -shimmer screened the bride in her white nudity from the gaze of the -curious. There was now nothing but this blinding nucleus of white light -in which all other whites were merged, this snowy starry dust twinkling -in the clear radiance.</p> - -<p>And Mouret still continued to watch his nation of women, amidst the -shimmering blaze. Their black shadows stood out vigorously against -the pale backgrounds. Long eddies would now and again part the crowd; -the fever of the day's great sale swept past like a frenzy through -the disorderly, billowy sea of heads. People were beginning to leave; -pillaged stuffs encumbered all the counters, and gold was chinking in -the tills whilst the customers went off, their purses emptied, and -their heads turned by the wealth of luxury amidst which they had been -wandering all day. It was he who possessed them thus, who held them at -his mercy by his continuous displays of novelties, his reductions of -prices, and his "returns," his gallantry, puffery, and advertisements. -He had conquered even the mothers, he reigned over all with the -brutality of a despot, whose caprices ruined many a household. His -creation was a sort of new religion; the churches, gradually deserted -by wavering faith, were replaced by his bazaar, in the minds of the -idle women of Paris. Woman now came and spent her leisure time in his -establishment, those shivering anxious hours which she had formerly -passed in churches: a necessary consumption of nervous passion, an -ever renewed struggle of the god of dress against the husband, an -ever renewed worship of the body with the promise of future divine -beauty. If he had closed his doors, there would have been a rising -in the street, the despairing cry of worshippers deprived of their -confessional and altar! In their still growing passion for luxury, he -saw them, notwithstanding the lateness of the hour yet obstinately -lingering in the huge iron building, on the suspended staircases and -flying bridges. Madame Marty and her daughter, carried away to the -highest point, were wandering amongst the furniture. Madame Bourdelais, -retained by her young people, could not get away from the fancy goods. -And then came another group, Madame de Boves, still on Vallagnosc's -arm, and followed by Blanche, stopping in each department and still -daring to examine the goods with her superb air. But amidst the crowded -sea of customers, that sea of bodies inflated with life and beating -with desire, one and all decorated with bunches of violets, as though -for the bridal of some sovereign, Mouret could now only distinguish the -figure of Madame Desforges, who had stopped in the glove department -with Madame Guibal. Despite her jealous rancour, she also was buying, -and he felt himself to be the master once more, having them at his -feet, beneath the dazzle of the electric light, like a drove of cattle -from which he had drawn his fortune.</p> - -<p>With a mechanical step, Mouret went along the galleries, so absorbed -that he yielded to the pushing of the crowd. When he raised his head -again he found himself in the new millinery department, the windows -of which overlooked the Rue du Dix-Décembre. And there, his forehead -against the glass, he made another halt and watched the departure -of the throng. The setting sun was tinging the roofs of the white -houses with yellow, the blue sky was growing paler, refreshed by a -pure breeze; whilst in the twilight, which was already enveloping the -side-walks down below, the electric lamps of The Ladies' Paradise threw -forth the fixed glimmer of stars, lighted on the horizon at the decline -of day. Towards the Opera-house and the Bourse were rows of waiting -vehicles, the harness of the horses still presenting reflections of -bright light, the gleam of a lamp, the glitter of a silver chain. At -each minute the cry of a messenger was heard, and a cab drew near, or -a brougham came forth from the ranks, took up a customer and went off -at a rapid trot. The rows of conveyances were now diminishing, six -went off at a time, occupying the whole street from one side to the -other, amidst the banging of doors, the snapping of whips, and the -hum of the passers-by, who swarmed between the wheels. There was a -sort of continuous enlargement, a spreading of the customers, carried -off to the four corners of the city, as the building emptied with the -roaring clamour of a sluice. And the roof of The Ladies' Paradise, the -big golden letters of the sky signs, the banners fluttering in the -heavens, still flamed with the reflections of the setting sun, looking -so colossal in the oblique light that they evoked the thought of some -monster of advertising, some phalansterium whose buildings, incessantly -multiplied, in turn covered up every district, as far as the distant -woods of the suburbs. And the spreading soul of Paris, in a huge but -gentle breath, sank asleep in the serenity of the evening, hovering in -prolonged, languid caresses over the last vehicles which were spinning -through the streets, now slowly deserted by the crowd as it disappeared -into the darkness of the night.</p> - -<p>Mouret, gazing around, had just felt something grand in himself; -but, amid the quiver of triumph with which his flesh trembled, in -face of Paris devoured and woman conquered, he experienced a sudden -weakness, a defection of his strong will, by which in his turn he was -overthrown beneath a superior force. It was an unreasonable longing to -be vanquished amidst his victory, the nonsense of a warrior bending -beneath the caprice of a child, on the morrow of his conquests. He who -had struggled for months, who even that morning had sworn to stifle his -passion, all at once yielded, seized by the vertigo which overcomes one -on mountain heights, happy to commit what he looked upon as folly. His -decision, so rapidly arrived at, acquired in a minute such energy that -he saw nothing else useful and necessary in the world.</p> - -<p>In the evening, after the last dinner, he sat waiting in his office, -trembling like a young man about to stake his life's happiness, unable -to keep still but incessantly going towards the door to listen to the -hubbub in the shop, where the employees, submerged to the shoulders in -a sea of stuffs, were now doing the folding up. At each footstep his -heart beat. And all at once he experienced violent emotion, and rushed -forward, for he had heard in the distance a deep murmur, which had -gradually increased.</p> - -<p>It was Lhomme slowly approaching with the day's receipts. That day they -were so heavy, there was such a quantity of silver and copper, that -he had been obliged to enlist the services of two messengers. Behind -him came Joseph and one of his colleagues, both bending beneath the -weight of the bags, enormous bags, thrown on their shoulders like sacks -of plaster, whilst he walked on in front with the notes and gold, a -note-book swollen with flimsies, and two bags hung round his neck, the -weight of which made him sway to the right, the same side as his broken -arm. Slowly, perspiring and puffing, he had come from the other end of -the shop amidst the growing emotion of the salesmen. The employees in -the glove and silk departments had laughingly offered to relieve him of -his burden, the men in the drapery and woollen departments had longed -to see him make a false step, which would have scattered the gold all -over the place. Then he had been obliged to mount the stairs, and cross -a bridge and then go higher still, turning about amidst the longing -looks of the employees of the linen, hosiery, and mercery departments, -who gazed in ecstasy at this fortune travelling in the air. On the -first-floor the mantle, perfumery, lace, and shawl employees were -ranged devoutly as for the passage of the Blessed Sacrament. And from -counter to counter a tumult arose, like the clamour of a nation bowing -down before the Golden Calf.</p> - -<p>Mouret had opened the door, and Lhomme appeared, followed by the two -messengers, who were staggering; and, out of breath though he was, the -cashier still had strength to cry out: "One million two hundred and -forty-seven francs, nineteen sous!"</p> - -<p>At last the million had been attained, that million picked up in -a day, of which Mouret had so long dreamed. But he gave way to an -angry gesture, and with the disappointed air of a man disturbed by -some troublesome visitor, he impatiently exclaimed, "A million! very -good, put it there." Lhomme knew that he was fond of seeing the heavy -receipts on his table before they were taken to the central cash -office. The million covered the whole table, crushing the papers and -almost overturning the ink; and the gold and the silver and the copper -running out of the sacks and bursting the leather bags, formed a great -heap, the heap of the gross receipts, such as it came still warm and -palpitating from the customers' hands.</p> - -<p>Just as the cashier was going away, heart-broken at the governor's -indifference, Bourdoncle arrived, gaily exclaiming: "Ah! we've got it -this time. We've hooked the million, eh?"</p> - -<p>But on observing Mouret's febrile air he understood the situation and -calmed down. His face was beaming with delight; and after a short -silence he resumed: "You've made up your mind, haven't you? Well, I -approve your decision."</p> - -<p>All at once, however, Mouret planted himself before him, and in his -terrible voice thundered: "I say, my man, you're rather too lively. You -think me played out, don't you? and you feel hungry. But be careful, -I'm not one to be swallowed up, you know!"</p> - -<p>Discountenanced by the sharp attack of this wonderful fellow, who -guessed everything, Bourdoncle stammered: "What now? Are you joking? I -who have always admired you so much!"</p> - -<p>"Don't tell lies!" replied Mouret, more violently than ever. "Just -listen, we were stupid to entertain the superstition that marriage -would ruin us. Why, is it not the necessary health, the very strength -and order of life? Well, my dear fellow, I'm going to marry her, and -I'll pitch you all out of doors at the slightest movement. Yes, you'll -go and get paid like the rest, Bourdoncle."</p> - -<p>And with a gesture he dismissed him. Bourdoncle felt himself condemned, -swept away, in this victory gained by woman. He went off. Denise was -just coming in, and he bowed to her with profound respect, his head -swimming.</p> - -<p>"Ah! you've come at last!" said Mouret gently.</p> - -<p>Denise was pale with emotion. She had just experienced another grief, -Deloche had informed her of his dismissal, and when she had tried -to retain him, offering to speak in his favour, he had obstinately -declined to struggle against his bad luck; he wanted to disappear, he -said, what was the use of staying? Why should he interfere with people -who were happy? Then Denise had bade him a sisterly farewell, her -eyes full of tears. Did she not herself long to sink into oblivion? -Everything was now about to finish, and she asked nothing more of her -exhausted strength than the courage to insist on the separation. In a -few minutes, if she could only be valiant enough to crush her heart, -she would be able to go away alone, and weep unseen.</p> - -<p>"You wished to see me, sir," she said in her calm voice. "In fact, I -intended to come and thank you for all your kindness to me."</p> - -<p>On entering, she had perceived the million on the table, and the -display of that money wounded her. Above her, as if watching the scene, -was the portrait of Madame Hédouin, in its gilded frame, and with the -eternal smile of its painted lips.</p> - -<p>"You are still resolved to leave us?" asked Mouret, in a trembling -voice.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir. I must."</p> - -<p>Then he took her hands, and, in an outburst of tenderness, after the -long coldness he had imposed on himself exclaimed: "And if I asked you -to marry me, Denise, would you still leave?"</p> - -<p>But she rapidly drew her hands away, struggling as if under the -influence of a great grief. "Oh! Monsieur Mouret! Pray say no more. -Oh! don't cause me even greater pain than before! I cannot! I cannot! -Heaven is my witness that I was going away to avoid such a misfortune!"</p> - -<p>She continued to defend herself in broken sentences. Had she not -already suffered too much from the gossip of the house? Did he wish her -to pass in the eyes of others and his own for a worthless woman? No, -no, she would be strong, she would certainly prevent him doing such a -foolish thing. He, tortured, listened to her, repeating in a passionate -tone: "I wish it. I wish it!"</p> - -<p>"No, it's impossible. And my brothers? I have sworn not to marry. I -cannot bring you those children, can I?"</p> - -<p>"They shall be my brothers, too. Say yes, Denise."</p> - -<p>"No, no, leave me. You are torturing me!"</p> - -<p>Little by little he was losing his strength; this last obstacle drove -him frantic. What! She still refused even at this price! In the -distance he heard the clamour of his three thousand employees building -up his immense fortune. And that idiotic million lying there! He -suffered from it as from a sort of irony, he could have kicked it into -the street.</p> - -<p>"Go, then!" he cried at last in a flood of tears. "Go and join the man -you love. That's the reason, isn't it? You warned me, I ought to have -known it, and not have tormented you any further."</p> - -<p>She stood there thunderstruck by the violence of this despair. Her own -heart was bursting. And then, with the impetuosity of a child, she -threw herself on his neck, sobbing also, and stammering: "Oh! Monsieur -Mouret, it's you I love!"</p> - -<p>A last murmur was rising from The Ladies' Paradise, the distant -acclamation of a multitude. Madame Hédouin's portrait was still -smiling, with its painted lips; Mouret had fallen on his table, on -the million which he could no longer see. He did not quit Denise, but -clasped her to his breast in a desperate embrace, telling her that she -might now go, that she could spend a month at Valognes which would -silence everybody, and that then he would go to fetch her himself, and -bring her back, all-powerful, as his wedded wife.</p> - - - -<h4>THE END.</h4> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Ladies' Paradise, by Émile Zola - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LADIES' PARADISE *** - -***** This file should be named 54726-h.htm or 54726-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/7/2/54726/ - -Produced by Dagny & Marc D'Hooghe at Free Literature (online -soon in an extended version, also linking to free sources -for education worldwide ... MOOC's, educational -materials,...) 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