Maupassant's Short Story: Miss Pearl (Part I)

1

That night, I thought of choosing Miss Pearl as my queen, and it was incredible.

Every year, I went to the house of the Three Kings at the house of the world and went to the Three Kings Dynasty[2]. He was a close friend of my father. When I was a child, my father took me to his house every year to celebrate the holiday. I've kept it that way, and as long as I'm alive, as long as there's a Chantal family in the world, I'll always do it.

However, the Chantal family's way of life is also a bit odd; Although they live in Paris, they live in Grasse[3], Ivoto, or the Monsoon Bridge[4].

They have a house near the observatory, which is located in a small garden. They are there as if they were in the provinces, enjoying themselves. They knew nothing of Paris, the real Paris, and could not imagine it; They are so far from it! So far away! However, they also sometimes travel there and do a long trip. In the family's words, it was Mrs. Chantal who went to the grain and grass. Let's see how they go about the grain and grass.

Miss Pearl has the key to the cupboard (since the wardrobe is controlled by the hostess); Miss Pearl informs: The sugar is running out, the cans have been eaten, and there is not much coffee left in the pocket.

Alerted to famine, Mrs. Chantal inspected the remaining food and recorded it in her notebook. After writing down many figures, she first devoted herself to a long calculation, and then had a long discussion with Miss Pearl. But in the end, it is always agreed that the amount of everything that needs to be purchased for the next three months: sugar, rice, dried plums, coffee, jam, canned peas, lentils, lobster, salted or smoked fish, etc.

After the plan was completed, the date of the purchase was chosen, and the horse-drawn taxi was taken to a large grocery store in the new downtown area across the bridge, which was the kind with a luggage rack on the roof.

Mrs. Chantal, together with Miss Pearl, made this trip mysteriously; It wasn't until dinner time that he came back in the wagon that was piled high with cardboard boxes and cloth bags on top like a moving cart; Although I was still excited, I was exhausted from the bumpy road in the car.

For the Chantals, the part of Paris on the other side of the Seine was a new district, and the people who lived there were eccentric, noisy, and unruly people, who behaved by day and had fun and spenders by night. However, they still sometimes took their two young daughters to the Comédie or the Théâtre de France[5] to see performances, which of course were recommended by the same newspaper that Monsieur Chantal read.

The daughter is now nineteen years old and the other is seventeen; Both girls were very good-looking, with slender figures, clear eyebrows, and very cultured; Even a little excessively educated, they became two rag dolls, and even if they walked on the street, they couldn't attract people's attention. I have never had the pleasure of courting or courting Mademoiselle Chantal; They give people the feeling of being so pure and flawless, and it takes a little courage to say a few words to them; Say hello to them, for fear of offending.

As for their father, he was an amiable man, very learned, very straightforward, and very sincere, but what he loved most was leisure, tranquility, and tranquility. He was responsible for making the whole family lifeless so that he could live comfortably in a pool of stagnant water. He loves to read, enjoys small talk, and is easily emotional. Due to the lack of contact, collision and conflict with the outside world, his skin, the skin of his spirit, has become very sensitive and fragile. The slightest thing can make him excited, irritable, and painful.

However, the Chantal family also interacted with people, but the number of people they interacted with was very limited, and they were carefully selected in the homes of people in the neighborhood. They also visit each other two or three times a year with relatives living far away.

As for me, I go to their house for dinner every August 15[6] and when the Three Kings come to the court. Just as Catholics take Holy Communion at Easter, it has become an obligation for me.

On August 15, they also invited a few friends; On the day when the Three Kings came to the festival, I was the only guest.

2

So, this year, as in previous years, I went to Chantal's house for dinner to celebrate the Three Kings Coming to the Dynasty.

As is customary, I kissed Monsieur Chantal, Mrs. Chantal, and Miss Pearl, and bowed deeply to Louise and Miss Pollina. They asked me about all sorts of things: what was happening on the Boulevard de Paris[7], what was going on in the political situation, what the public thought about the events in Tokyo[8], and what the parliamentarians were doing. Mrs. Chantal was broad and fat; All her thoughts, in my mind, were square, like a well-cut slate. She used to sum up all political debates with this sentence: "None of this will end well." "Why are Mrs. Chantal's ideas square in my imagination? I don't know; But what she said did have this shape in my mind: a square, a square with symmetrical corners. Others think that it seems to me that it is always round and able to roll like a ring; If they said something about something, as soon as they opened their mouths, the round thoughts rolled out, more and more, ten, twenty, fifty, big and small, and I watched them roll forward one after the other, all the way to the edge of the sky. Still others have the idea of being pointed...... That's all off topic, though.

Let's say that we sat down to eat as we always did, and until the end of supper, we didn't say anything worth mentioning.

When it was time for the after-dinner snack, the three kings came and brought the bread. In previous years, it was Monsieur Chantal who was king. Whether it was a succession of coincidences, or the tacit agreement of the family, I do not know, but he always found the bean in the corner of the cake that was given to him, and he always declared Madame Chantal queen. So when I took a bite of the cake and felt something hard in it that almost broke my teeth, I couldn't help but be surprised. I slowly pulled the thing out of my mouth, and saw a small porcelain figure no bigger than a broad bean. I exclaimed in surprise, "Ah! As the people looked at me, Mr. Chantal clapped and shouted, "It's Gaston, it's Gaston." Long live the King! Long live the King! ”

All the people cheered in unison: "Long live the king!" "I immediately blushed to the base of my ears, just like people often blush involuntarily when they are in a slightly awkward situation. I lowered my head, pinched the bean-sized porcelain figure with two fingers, and finally smiled, but I didn't know what to do or say for a while. Then Mr. Cental said, "Now it is time to choose a queen." ”

I was even more overwhelmed at this point. In an instant, all kinds of ideas, all kinds of speculations, flashed through my mind. Could it be that you want me to nominate one of the two Chantal Misses? Could it be that I want to use this method to make me say which lady I like more? Could it be that the parents are slowly, gently, and unobtrusively bringing about a possible successful marriage? It is important to know that the calculation of marriage often lingers in every family with an older daughter, and it takes various forms, disguises, and means. I was very scared of being implicated; At the same time, the unpredictable manners of Louise and Miss Polina made me extremely timid. Choosing one of them and snubbing the other is as difficult for me as it is to pick one of two drops of water. Besides, I am terrified to the thought that I might be dragged into a marital adventure by euphemistic, imperceptible, and peaceful means because of this meaningless throne.

But it struck me and handed the symbolic porcelain figure to Miss Pearl. At first everyone was surprised, and then they probably appreciated my finesse and thoughtfulness, as they applauded wildly. They shouted, "Long live the Queen!" Long live the Queen! ”

And she, the poor old girl, was in a panic; She trembled, looked terrified, and stammered, "This is not going to work...... That's not going to work...... That's not going to work...... Don't choose me...... I beg you...... Don't choose me...... I beg you......"

It was only then that I looked at Miss Pearl for the first time in my life, and wondered what kind of person she was.

I was accustomed to seeing her in this house, but like the easy-to-chair embroidered velvet I had since I was a child, I saw them often, but never noticed them. One day, for some reason, just because a ray of sunlight falls on that seat, you suddenly say to yourself, "Hey, don't look at this piece of furniture, it's interesting"; Then you will find that the wooden frame was originally carved by a skilled craftsman, and the cloth surface is also beautiful. Anyway, I never paid attention to Miss Pearl.

She was a member of the Chantal family, nothing more; But how did she become part of the Chantal family? In what capacity? - This slender woman, although she tries not to attract attention, is not a dispensable person. The family treated her very kindly, better than a servant, but not as good as a relative. Some subtle differences that I didn't care about in the past are now obvious! Mrs. Chantal called her: "Pearl". What about the girls: "Miss Pearl". Monsieur Chantal only called her, "Mademoiselle", perhaps with more respect than they did.

I looked at her. - How old is she? Forty years old? That's right, forty years old. - This girl is not old, but she is deliberately dressed old-fashioned. I was amazed by this unexpected discovery. Her hairstyle, clothes, and accessories are ridiculous, but despite this, she is not ridiculous at all, because she has a simple and natural elegance, but this elegant temperament is hidden by her. Really, what a weird man! How could I never observe her properly? She made the style of her hair quirky, combed it into funny and old-fashioned little curls; Beneath this hairstyle, reserved for the Virgin, can be seen a serene brain door with two deep wrinkles, two wrinkles left by a long period of accumulation; Below them were two large, soft blue eyes, so shy, so fearful, so modest, and the two beautiful eyes were still so childish, full of the horrors of a girl, the feelings of adolescence, and the sorrow of the past, which did not make them cloudy, but made them more gentle.

Her whole face was delicate and reserved, a face that had withered and lost its luster without much toil, tribulation, or the joys and sorrows of life.

What a beautiful mouth! What beautiful teeth! But she didn't even dare to laugh!

I suddenly made a comparison between her and Madame Chantal! It is safe to say that she is stronger than Madame Chantal, a hundred times stronger, more elegant than her, nobler than her, and prouder than her.

I was amazed at what I had observed. At this point, the champagne was poured. I raised my glass to the queen and toasted her with a careful word of praise. I could see how much she wanted to bury her face in a napkin. Later, when her lips finally dipped into the clear wine, everyone shouted in unison: "Long live the Queen!" Long live the Queen! Her face flushed with shame and she was speechless with excitement. Everyone laughed. I saw it very clearly: in this family, people loved her.

3

As soon as dinner was over, Chantal grabbed my arm. It was time for him to smoke a cigar, and it was a sacred moment. When he was alone, he always went to the street to smoke; If a guest came for dinner, he would go upstairs to the billiards room and play and smoke. On this night, because it was the festival of the Three Kings, there was even a fire in the billiard room; My old friend took a billiard cue, a very delicate billiard cue, carefully polished it with white powder for a while, and then said:

"You tee off, lad!"

Even though I was twenty-five years old, he always referred to me as "you" because he had known me since I was a baby.

So I started the game; I hit a couple of two balls in a row; There were also a few shorts. As my mind had been thinking about Miss Pearl, I hastily asked:

"Excuse me, Mr. Chantal, is Miss Pearl a relative of yours?"

He seemed surprised, stopped playing, and looked at me:

"What, you don't know? Don't you know Miss Pearl's background? ”

"I don't know."

"Your father never told you?"

"Nope."

"Hey, hey, that's interesting! Ha! I see, it's interesting! Yes! However, it was a true adventure. ”

He pondered for a moment, then continued:

"Today is the Three Kings Coming to the Dynasty, it's so strange that you asked me about this on such a day!"

"Why?"

* * *

Yes! Why! Listen. That was forty-one years ago, and forty-one years ago today, the Three Kings came to the festival. We were living on top of the old walls of Rui-Letaurd; But I'll have to tell you about our house before you can understand. The city of Rui was built on a hillside, rather on a hill overlooking a large pasture. There we had a house and a beautiful garden hanging high, because it was held up in the air by the old parapet. That is to say, the house is in the city, on the street, but the garden is on a high platform in the field. There is also a door in the garden that leads to the field, as is common in novels, and a secret ladder is carved into the wall, and the secret ladder is this door under it. There is a large road passing in front of the door; There is a big clock at the door, because the villagers love to take this door when they send the necessities of life purchased by my family, so as not to make a big detour.

Now you know what's going on in that place, don't you? In addition, that year, when the Three Kings came to the festival, it had been snowing continuously for a week. It's like the end of the world. When we went to the city wall to look at the plain, we saw that the plains were white, frozen, and shiny like a layer of varnish, and we couldn't help but feel cold to the marrow. It's as if God has packed the earth and prepared to send it to the top floor utility room of the ancient world. I assure you, it was a bleak sight.

At that time, our family lived together, with a large population, many people, including my father and mother, my uncle and aunt, two older brothers, and four cousins; These four cousins are all Peugeot girls, and I married the youngest one. Of these, there are only three people alive: my wife, me, and my sister-in-law, who now lives in Marseille. Damn it! What a good end of a family, what kind of withering! I shudder at the thought of this! I was fifteen years old; No, I'm fifty-six years old.

It's time to celebrate the Three Kings Coming Dynasty, and we're all very happy, really happy! While everyone was waiting for supper in the drawing-room, my brother Jacques suddenly said, "There is a dog that has been barking on the plain for ten minutes, and the poor brute must have been lost." ”

Before he could finish his sentence, the garden bell rang. The bell was as low as a church bell, reminiscent of a dead man. Everyone shuddered. My father called a servant and told him to go and see it. We all waited with bated breath, but we were all worried about the snow that covered the ground. The servant came back and reported that he had seen nothing. But the dog was still barking, and it kept barking, and the barking did not change place.

We sat down to eat; But they were all a little nervous, especially young people. Everything was fine until the barbecue, and then the bell suddenly rang again, and three times in succession, and these three heavy and long bells shook our fingertips, and we couldn't breathe. We looked at each other, forks in our hands, and our hearts were filled with a mysterious sense of fear.

Finally it was my mother who said, "It's strange to come back and ring the bell after so long." Baptiste, go and see again, but don't go alone; Which gentleman here is with you? ”

My uncle François stood up. He was a strong man, and he was always proud of his strength and strength, and he was quite unafraid. My father said to him, "Take a gun." No one knows what it will be. ”

But my uncle took only one cane, and immediately went out with the servant.

The people we left behind were trembling and worried, unable to eat, and had no intention of talking. My father comforted us and said, "Wait and see, either a beggar or a traveler has lost his way in the snow." He rang the bell once, and when he saw that no one opened the door to him at once, he tried to look for the way again, but he could not find it, so he went back to our door and rang the bell. ”

We felt as if my uncle had been gone for an hour. He finally came back, grunting and scolding, "Nothing, fuck, must be a troublemaker!" Besides, only the damn dog barked a hundred meters from the city walls. If I had a gun with me, I would have killed it and silenced it. ”

Everyone began to eat again, but they were all anxious, feeling that this matter was not over, that something was about to happen, and that the bell would ring soon.

Just as the people were cutting the cake of the Three Kings, it rang again. All of them stood up in unison. My uncle, François, had just drunk some champagne and vowed to kill him. Seeing that he was furious, my mother and aunt hurriedly ran over to stop him. My father, though calm and a little troubled (he broke one leg after falling off his horse and has been walking with his feet ever since), said he would go and see what was going on. My two older brothers, one eighteen and one twenty, ran to get guns. Seeing that no one was paying attention to me, I grabbed an airsoft gun and prepared to follow on the expedition.

The expedition set off at once. Father, uncle, and Baptiste, with a lantern in hand, walked ahead. Older brothers, Jacques and Paul, followed them. Despite my mother's dissuasion, I followed last. My mother and her sister and a couple of my cousins were waiting at the door.