eing at all able to collect
her thoughts, though at moments she remembered some of what had
happened, and then she was frightened at the idea of what might happen.
Her terror increased, and every time the great kitchen clock struck the
hour she broke into a perspiration from grief. She lost her head, and
had the nightmare; her candle went out, and then she began to imagine
that someone had thrown a spell over her, like country people so often
fancy, and she felt a mad inclination to run away, to escape and to flee
before her misfortune, like a ship scuds before the wind.

An owl hooted, and she shivered, sat up, put her hands to her face, into
her hair, and all over her body, and then she went downstairs, as if she
were walking in her sleep. When she got into the yard, she stooped down,
so as not to be seen by any prowling scamp, for the moon, which was
setting, shed a bright light over the fields. Instead of opening the
gate, she scrambled over the fence, and as soon as she was outside, she
started off. She went on straight before her, with a quick, elastic
trot, and from time to time, she unconsciously uttered a piercing cry.
Her long shadow accompanied her, and now and then some night bird flew
over her head, while the dogs in the farmyards barked, as they heard her
pass; one even jumped over the ditch and followed her and tried to bite
her, but she turned round at it, and gave such a terrible yell, that the
frightened animal ran back and cowered in silence in its kennel.

The stars grew dim, and the birds began to twitter; day was breaking.
The girl was worn out and panting, and when the sun rose in the purple
sky, she stopped, for her swollen feet refused to go any further; but
she saw a pond in the distance, a large pond whose stagnant water looked
like blood under the reflection of this new day, and she limped on with
short steps and with her hand on her heart, in order to dip both her
legs in it. She sat down on a tuft of grass, took off her heavy shoes,
which were full of dust, pulled off her stockings and plunged her legs
into the still water, from which bubbles were rising here and there.

A feeling of delicious coolness pervaded her from head to foot, and
suddenly, while she was looking fixedly at the deep pool, she was seized
with giddiness, and with a mad longing to throw herself into it. All her
sufferings would be over in there; over for ever. She no longer thought
of her child; she only wanted peace, c