The Sisters Rondoli, and Other Stories. Guy de Maupassant

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      "I put a newspaper full of wild strawberries on her lap, and she ate them quickly, throwing them into her mouth from some distance in a coquettish and charming manner.

      "When she had finished the little red heap which we had seen rapidly diminishing, melting and disappearing under the rapid action of her hands, I asked her:

      "'What may I offer you now?'

      "'I will take a little chicken,' she replied.

      "She certainly devoured half of it, tearing it to pieces with the rapid movements of her jaws like some carnivorous animal. Then she made up her mind to have some cherries, which she 'did not like,' then some plums, then some little cakes. Then she said, 'I have had enough,' and sat back in her corner.

      "I was much amused, and tried to make her eat more, pressing her, in fact, till she suddenly got in a rage again, and flung such a furious 'mica' at me, that I would no longer run the risk of spoiling her digestion.

      "I turned to my friend. 'My poor Paul,' I said, 'I am afraid we have had our trouble for nothing.'

      "Night was coming on, one of those hot summer nights which extend their warm shade over the burning and exhausted earth. Here and there, in the distance by the sea, over capes and promontories bright stars began to shine on the dark horizon, which I was, at times, almost inclined to confound with lighthouses.

      "The scent of the orange-trees became more penetrating, and we breathed with delight, distending our lungs to inhale it more deeply. The balmy air was soft, delicious, almost divine.

      "Suddenly I noticed something like a shower of stars under the dense shade of the trees along the line where it was quite dark. It might have been taken for drops of light, leaping, flying, playing and running among the leaves, or for small stars fallen from the skies in order to have an excursion on the earth; but they were only fireflies dancing a strange fiery ballet in the perfumed air.

      "One of them happened to come into our carriage and shed its intermittent light, which seemed to be extinguished one moment and to be burning the next. I covered the carriage-lamp with its blue shade and watched the strange fly careering about in its fiery flight. Suddenly it settled on the dark hair of our neighbour, who was dozing after dinner. Paul seemed delighted, his eyes fixed on the bright, sparkling spot which looked like a living jewel on the forehead of the sleeping woman.

      "The Italian awoke about eleven o'clock, with the bright insect still in her hair. When I saw her move, I said: 'We are just getting to Genoa, Madame,' and she murmured, without answering me, as if possessed by some obstinate and embarrassing thought:

      "'What am I going to do, I wonder?'

      "And then she suddenly asked:

      "'Would you like me to come with you?'

      "I was so taken aback that I really did not understand her.

      "'With us? What do you mean?'

      "She repeated, looking more and more furious:

      "'Would you like me to go with you now, as soon as we get out of the train?'

      "'I am quite willing; but where do you want to go to? Where shall I take you to?'

      "She shrugged her shoulders with an air of supreme indifference.

      "'Wherever you like; what does it matter to me?' She repeated her 'Che mi fa?' twice.

      "'But we are going to the hotel.'

      "'Very well, let us all go to the hotel,' she said, in a contemptuous voice.

      "I turned to Paul, and said:

      "'She wants to know if we should like her to come with us.'

      "My friend's utter surprise restored my self-possession. He stammered:

      "'With us? Where to? What for? How?'

      "'I don't know, but she made this strange proposal to me in a most irritable voice. I told her that we were going to the hotel, and she said: 'Very well, let us all go there!' I suppose she is without a half-penny. She certainly has a very strange way of making acquaintances.'

      "Paul, who was very much excited, exclaimed:

      "'I am quite agreeable. Tell her that we will take her wherever she likes.' Then, after a moment's hesitation, he said uneasily:

      "'We must know, however, with whom she wants to go—with you or with me?'

      "I turned to the Italian, who did not even seem to be listening to us, and said:

      "'We shall be very happy to take you with us, but my friend wants to know whether you will take my arm or his?'

      "She opened her black eyes wide with vague surprise, and said, 'Che mi fa?'

      "I was obliged to explain myself. 'In Italy, I believe when a man looks after a woman, fulfills all her wishes, and satisfies all her caprices, he is called a patito. Which of us two will you take for your patito?'

      "Without the slightest hesitation she replied:

      "'You!'

      "I turned to Paul. 'You see, my friend, she chooses me; you have no luck.'

      "'All the better for you,' he replied, in a rage. Then, after thinking for a few moments, he went on:

      "'Do you really care about taking this creature with you? She will spoil our journey. What are we to do with this woman, who looks like I don't know what? They will not take us in at any decent hotel.'

      "I, however, was just beginning to find the Italian much nicer than I had thought her at first, and I was now very anxious to take her with us. The idea delighted me. I already felt those little shivers which the expectation of a night of love sends through the veins.

      "I replied, 'My dear fellow, we have accepted, and it is too late to recede. You were the first to advise me to say 'Yes.'

      "'It is very stupid,' he growled, 'but do as you please.'

      "The train whistled, slackened speed, and we ran into the station.

      "I got out of the carriage, and offered my new companion my hand. She jumped out lightly, and I gave her my arm, which she took with an air of seeming repugnance. As soon as we had claimed our luggage we started off into the town, Paul walking in complete silence, with a nervous step.

      "'To what hotel shall we go?' I asked him. 'It may be difficult to get into the City of Paris Hotel with a woman, especially with this Italian.'

      "Paul interrupted me: 'Yes, with an Italian who looks more like a strumpet than a duchess. However, that is no business of mine. Do just as you please.'

      "I was in a state of perplexity. I had written to the City of Paris to reserve our rooms, and now I did not know what to do.

      "Two commissionnaires followed us with our luggage. I continued: 'You might as well go first, and say that we are coming; and give СКАЧАТЬ