he got up and laid his head against the stem of
a tree. When she saw that, she was sorry, and going up to him, she said:
"Have I hurt you?" He, however, only laughed. "No, it was a mere nothing;
only she had hit him right on the middle of the nose. What a devil!" he
said, and he looked at her with admiration, for she had inspired him with
a feeling of respect and of a very different kind of admiration which was
the beginning of a real love for that tall, strong wench. When the
bleeding had stopped, he proposed a walk, as he was afraid of his
neighbor's heavy hand, if they remained side by side like that much
longer; but she took his arm of her own accord, in the avenue, as if they
had been out for an evening's walk, and said: "It is not nice of you to
despise me like that, Jacques." He protested, however. No, he did not
despise her. He was in love with her, that was all.

"So you really want to marry me?" she asked.

He hesitated and then looked at her sideways, while she looked straight
ahead of her. She had fat, red cheeks, a full bust beneath her cotton
jacket; thick, red lips; and her neck, which was almost bare, was covered
with small beads of perspiration. He felt a fresh access of desire, and,
putting his lips to her ear, he murmured: "Yes, of course I do."

Then she threw her arms round his neck and kissed him till they were both
out of breath. From that moment the eternal story of love began between
them. They plagued one another in corners; they met in the moonlight
beside the haystack and gave each other bruises on the legs, under the
table, with their heavy nailed boots. By degrees, however, Jacques seemed
to grow tired of her; he avoided her, scarcely spoke to her, and did not
try any longer to meet her alone, which made her sad and anxious; and
soon she found that she was enceinte.

At first she was in a state of consternation, but then she got angry, and
her rage increased every day because she could not meet him, as he
avoided her most carefully. At last, one night, when every one in the
farmhouse was asleep, she went out noiselessly in her petticoat, with
bare feet, crossed the yard and opened the door of the stable where
Jacques was lying in a large box of straw above his horses. He pretended
to snore when he heard her coming, but she knelt down by his side and
shook him until he sat up.

"What do you want?" he then asked her. And with clenched teeth, and
trembling with anger, she replied: "I want-