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The Works of Guy de Maupassant Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the The Works of Guy de Maupassant novel. A total of 348 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : The Works of Guy de Maupa.s.sant.Vol. 1.by Guy de Maupa.s.sant.INTRODUCTION BY ARTHUR SY
The Works of Guy de Maupa.s.sant.Vol. 1.by Guy de Maupa.s.sant.INTRODUCTION BY ARTHUR SYMONS The first aim of art, no doubt, is the representation of things as they are. But then things are as our eyes see them and as our minds make them; and it is thus o
- 148 Again they had supper alone, without any company, had some music and pleasant talk and separated at half-past eleven. The hussar, however, only went to his room for form's sake; he loaded his pistols, and when all was quiet in the castle, he crept do
- 147 The next morning, as the Count, with several other ladies and gentlemen, was accompanying the Princess home from the pump-room, the fair coquette let her pocket-handkerchief fall just outside her house. The young officer took this for a hint, so he picked
- 146 During an interval in the music, an elderly gentleman, with the ribbon of an order in his b.u.t.ton-hole, came up to the table, and from the manner in which he greeted them, it was evident that he was an old friend. From their conversation, which was carr
- 145 An embarra.s.sing silence followed. They entered the dining-room, and in a few minutes they all sat down to an improvised dinner.Only M. Braux had retained his self-possession; his gorilla features grinned wickedly, while he let fall some words of double
- 144 He put the marble on his shoulder with a considerable effort, and they left the room. Caravan had to stoop in the door-way, and trembled as he went downstairs, while his wife walked backwards, so as to light him, and held the candlestick in one hand, whil
- 143 "Ah!" the other exclaimed, and as a customer at the other end of the establishment asked for a gla.s.s of Bavarian beer, he went to attend to him, left Caravan almost stupefied at his want of sympathy.The three domino players were sitting at the
- 142 "Just look at her hand; I never make a mistake, you may be quite sure of that."Caravan fell on the bed, and almost bellowed, while his wife, still whimpering, did what was necessary.She brought the night-table, on which she spread a table napkin
- 141 This rather upset Caravan, who did not speak again until the tram put them down at their destination, where the two friends got out, and Chenet asked his friend to have a gla.s.s of vermouth at the _Cafe du Globe_, opposite, which both of them were in the
- 140 "'Do you want to return home again?'"'Yes.'"'And you did not dare to tell me?'"'I did not venture to.'"'Go, if you wish to; I give you leave.'"She seized my hands and kissed t
- 139 "'Do you know where Allouma is?'"'No, _mo'ssieuia_ ... it is not possible ... is Allouma lost?'"A few moments later, my Arab came into my room, so agitated that he could not master his feelings, and I said: "&#
- 138 "'Yes, _mo'ssieuia_.'"That was all."An hour later, my beautiful Arab was installed in a large, airy, light room, and when I went in to see that everything was in order, she asked me in a supplicating voice, to give her a ward
- 137 "'Yes, _mo'ssieuia_,' he repeated, seriously."I must acknowledge that during the whole day I was in a state of aggressive excitement at the recollection of that Arab girl lying on the red carpet, and when I went in at dinner time,
- 136 I One of my friends had said to me:-- "If you happen to be near Bordj-Ebbaba while you are in Algeria, be sure and go to see my old friend Auballe, who has settled there."I had forgotten the name of Auballe and of Ebbaba, and I was not thinking
- 135 "Madame d'Arville, who takes the matter seriously, said to me the other day: "'Poor Gilberte will never marry.'"My dear old schoolfellow, will you allow your cousin to die the victim of a stupid piece of business on my part?
- 134 "Oh! That is capital! Really capital!""And he can send his old father and mother the money as usual, and thus morality is satisfied."THE RELIC _To the Abbe Louis d'Ennemare, at Soissons._ "My Dear Abbe: "My marriage with
- 133 "At the end of that time, nothing, absolutely nothing occurred. I always lost the game.... I waited for a fortnight, three weeks, continually hoping. In the restaurants, I ate a number of highly seasoned dishes, which upset my stomach, and ... and it
- 132 "Everything happened as he had foreseen. Suddenly, the corn-crake found itself on the borders of the clover, and it could not go any further without showing itself; Medor stood and pointed, half-looking round at me, but at a sign from me, he drew up
- 131 "As discipline const.i.tutes the princ.i.p.al strength of an army, it is very important for every superior to obtain absolute respect, and instant obedience from his inferiors."He did not resist, but accustomed himself thus to become a sort of M
- 130 "It is a matter of importance."I got up, therefore, and followed him to the other end of the boat, and then he said: "Monsieur, when winter comes, with its cold, wet and snowy weather, your doctor says to you constantly: 'Keep your fee
- 129 The Works of Guy de Maupa.s.sant.Volume IV.by Guy de Maupa.s.sant.THE OLD MAID Count Eustache d'Etchegorry's solitary country house had the appearance of a poor man's home, where people do not have enough to eat every day in the week, where
- 128 "Their arrogance knew no bounds, and when they were questioned about their acts, they only replied by menaces or raillery, and this state of affairs lasted for twenty years, when, as war was imminent with Lucca, the Council raised troops and enrolled
- 127 "You surprise and interest me very much, Monsieur. Shall I be indiscreet if I ask you to tell me the facts of the case? If I am troubling you, think that I have said nothing about the matter."The gentleman took my arm familiarly."Not at all
- 126 Is there any stronger feeling than curiosity in a woman? Oh! Fancy seeing, knowing, touching what one has dreamt about! What would a woman not do for that? When once a woman's eager curiosity is aroused, she will be guilty of any folly, commit any im
- 125 He was an old man of about sixty-five, and his rags and the wallet over his shoulder denoted a beggar, but Sonia immediately noticed that there was a certain amount of affectation in his wretchedness. His hair and beard were not s.h.a.ggy and ragged, like
- 124 They saw a great deal of company, and he called himself Du Pontel now, and he even had thoughts of buying a t.i.tle from the Pope; he only read certain newspapers, kept up a regular correspondence with the Orleans Princes, was thinking of starting a racin
- 123 The next moment, the old man, terrible in his rage, rushed out of his hiding place with clenched fists and a s...o...b..ring mouth, threw himself on the startled son, and pointing to the door with a superb gesture, he said: "You are a dirty scoundrel
- 122 "A very annoying visit.""I saw that she would not tell me the true reason, and as she was very calm, I did not trouble myself any more about it, and hoped to make up for lost time with the other, the next day, and on the Tuesday, I was very
- 121 "Your habit.""Yes, my habit, and hers also. She is married to an excellent man, whom I also value very much, a very cordial fellow. A capital companion! I may say, I think that my life is bound up with that house.""Well?"&quo
- 120 She wetted the gum, fastened it carefully, and addressed it to: "Viscount de Martelet, 240 Rue Miromesnil," and then, giving it back to the Baron, she said: "Now, will you be kind enough to throw this into the telegram box."AN ADVENTUR
- 119 THE a.s.sIGNATION Although she had her bonnet and jacket on, with a black veil over her face, and another in her pocket, which she would put on over the +other as soon as she had got into the cab, she was beating +the top of her little boot with the point
- 118 And then, her mind was as simple as two and two are four, and a sonorous laugh served her instead of thought.Instinctively proud of her beauty, she hated the slightest covering, and ran and frisked about my house with daring and unconscious immodesty.When
- 117 "I went away," he replied simply. And we remained sitting side by side for a long time without speaking, only dreaming! ...I have retained an impression of that evening that I can never forget.All that I saw, felt, and heard, our fis.h.i.+ng exc
- 116 "Then we will go and have a chat on the roof.""I shall be delighted."Just as we got onto the terrace, I saw the crescent moon rising behind the mountains, and around us, the white houses, with their flat roofs, descending down towards
- 115 "'Vive la France!' And I felt really moved. I do not know why, except that I thought it a pretty and gallant thing to say.""It seemed to me as if we had just saved the whole of France, and had done something that other men could n
- 114 I set off with all speed, and when I arrived, there was a Prussian patrol at the cottage, and when I asked what it all meant, I was told that there was a captain of _Franc-tireurs_ and his wife inside, both dead. I gave their names; they saw that I knew t
- 113 "Good morning, captain, good morning, all of you," he said. "Ah! the scoundrels, the wretches! Why twenty of them came to surprise us.""Twenty, do you say?""Yes, there was a whole band of them, and that is why I disobeye
- 112 I It was after Bourbaki's defeat in the East of France. The army, broken up, decimated and worn out, had been obliged to retreat into Switzerland, after that terrible campaign, and it was only the short time that it lasted, which saved a hundred and
- 111 One of the boating men made a martyr of himself and took the mother."Let us go to the little wood on the _Ile aux Anglias_!" he called out, as he rowed off. The other skiff went slower, for the rower was looking at his companion so intently, tha
- 110 "Most certainly I do, my friend."A COUNTRY EXCURSION For five months they had been talking of going to lunch at some country restaurant in the neighborhood of Paris, on Madame Dufour's birthday, and as they were looking forward very impatie
- 109 Charlotte Guindal's medical man was Doctor Rabatel, one of those clever men who appear to know everything, but whom a country bone-setter would reduce to a "why?" by a few questions; one of those men who wish to impress everybody with their
- 108 Champdelin was in despair; he did not know what to do, and cursed his bad luck. What would be the end of it? Who would deliver him from that species of prison, and was he going to remain there all the afternoon and night, like a portmanteau that had been
- 107 "'Have you forgotten that this is the day, at the _Hotel de Bade_, between five and six o'clock? In an hour, Madame de Lauriere will be at the office of the Police Commissary in the Rue de Provence, with her uncle and Maitre Cantenac ...�
- 106 "While speaking, she had a.s.sumed a demure, saintly air; and resting on the cus.h.i.+ons, she stretched herself out at full length, with her head on my shoulder and her dress pulled up a little, so as to show her red silk stockings, which the fire-l
- 105 "Your name is no longer Anna, Mrs. Greenfield; for the future you shall be called Jezabel. I only regret that I have twelve times mingled my blood with your impure blood." And then, seized by pity, he added: "If you were only in a state of
- 104 "'Yes,' the old man replied with a smile; and then he added in his harsh, tremulous voice: 'I resemble her in everything. I am only sixty, and I feel as if I should have l.u.s.ty, hot blood in me until I am seventy.'"And then
- 103 With such tastes, it was only natural that this pilgrim followed and pushed up against women in the large shops, and whenever there was a crowd, and that he especially looked out for those ladies of easy virtue, for nothing is more exciting than those hal
- 102 Then he smiled, and turning to the waiter who had just come in, he said: "Meanwhile, open us another bottle of champagne, and make the cork pop!It will, at any rate, somewhat accustom us to the day when we shall all be blown up with dynamite ourselve
- 101 Ledantec was standing in front of me, his face convulsed with horror, his hair standing on end and his eyes staring out of his head, and he shouted to me:-- "Let us escape! Let us escape!" Whereupon I opened my eyes wide, and found myself lying
- 100 Mother Benedict did not reply, as she thought it a very equivocal soft of answer, but suddenly she exclaimed: "Oh! here is my husband!"She was the only one who had seen him, as she was facing the gate.D'Apreval started, and Madame de Cadour
- 99 They turned to the left; she was walking very slowly now; her legs threatened to give way, and her heart was beating so violently that she felt as if she should be suffocated, while at every step she murmured, as if in prayer: "Oh! good heavens! good
- 98 "There he is," he said.I saw nothing except a gray felt hat, c.o.c.ked over one ear, above a pair of broad shoulders, driving off in a cloud of dust.ABANDONED "I really think you must be mad, my dear, to go for a country walk in such weathe
- 97 "When the weather was fine, she laughed continually, and emitted some low cries which might be compared to the twittering of birds; when it rained she cried and moaned in a mournful, terrifying manner, which sounded like the howling of a dog when a d
- 96 When they heard this, the girl's parents certainly hesitated for a time, to give their consent to the marriage, but the handsome hussar, whose ardent pa.s.sion carried f.a.n.n.y away, at last gained the victory. The doctor received a pretty little no
- 95 Count T---- was not a man whom she could just coolly dismiss, or with whom she might venture to trifle, and that she knew perfectly well; so in order to avoid a catastrophe, the consequences of which might be incalculable for her, she did not let him noti
- 94 "I did not intend to hurt your feelings," he continued: "but I must confess that it would have been better for both of us, if we had not met again. But what do you mean by making me wear your livery? It is not enough that I have been robbed
- 93 "What do you mean?" she said innocently."Do you not belong to another man?" he asked her in a sad voice.She shook her abundant, light curls."Up till now, I have belonged to myself alone, and I will prove it to you, by requesting y
- 92 An Austrian count, who had a loud and silly laugh, said: "Who has saddled you with that yarn? The lady is Lady Nitingsdale, and his name is Romanesco.""Romanesco?""Yes, he is a rich Boyar from Moldavia, where he has extensive esta
- 91 And there was a strange look in her eyes."Yes.""How did you come here?""I am one of the many emigrants who have forfeited their country and their life; and I, who come of a good family, and who was an officer of the Honveds, must
- 90 "Certainly! She is a Viennese lady," Countess H---- whispered; "Countess W----.""Oh! Indeed you are quite mistaken; it is a Count Savelli and his wife.They are a handsome couple, don't you think so?"When the boat came ne
- 89 She was received with some suspicion at first, but she soon overcame all prejudices and doubts; the applause grew more and more vehement at every act, and at the close of the performance, her future was decided. She obtained a splendid engagement, and soo
- 88 "Are you in earnest?""Fully."The man from the _Ghetto_ took her hand, and pressed it ardently to his lips."When may I come?""To-morrow evening at eight o'clock.""And I may bring the sable cloak and the whi
- 87 When it was over, the Jesuit took the book of the Gospels and the holy water sprinkler, and went slowly out of the chapel, while the old man followed him, with the holy water basin in one hand and a taper in the other. Then the police director left his hi
- 86 "It would be a very poor joke, Monsieur le Comte, and one which I should certainly not allow myself towards you!"The situation was absolutely critical and ridiculous, the more so, that in the dining-room the women who were slightly _elevated_, w
- 85 The Works of Guy de Maupa.s.sant.Volume III.by Guy de Maupa.s.sant.THE VIATIc.u.m "After all," Count d'Avorsy said, stirring his tea with the slow movements of a prelate, "what truth was there in anything that was said at Court, almost
- 84 "If I were really capable of loving for five minutes consecutively, I should love you."And when they were walking in the _Bois de Boulogne_, while the Victoria was waiting near Armenonville, during their afternoon talks when, as he used to say,
- 83 In spite of it all, I was in full possession of my reason, I was not in a pa.s.sion, and I could not have looked like a fool.What could she have seen unusual in my eyes that frightened her, what inflections were there in my voice for such an idea suddenly
- 82 What did her letters that I had taken out of her writing table, which she had used as a girl, what did her ball cards which were stuck round her looking gla.s.s, in which she used to admire herself formerly, what did her dresses, her dressing gowns, and t
- 81 However, Oh! I felt it too much for it to be nothing but a chimera and a mirage, it was no _virgin_ who threw her arms round my neck so lovingly, and who returned my first kisses so _deliciously_, who was attracted by my society, who gave no signs of surp
- 80 Sooner or later!I half opened the bedroom door gently. Elaine was in one of those heavy sleeps that follow intoxication. Who could tell whether, when she opened her eyes and called me, surprised at not finding herself in my arms, her whole being would not
- 79 "How happy I am, Elaine, and how I love you!" and I kissed her almost timidly, on the dimple. She trembled, as if from the pain of a burn, blushed deeply and with an affectionate look, she said: "I love you also, Jacques, and I am very happ
- 78 Then, however, suddenly he ceased to be happy, and, in spite of all his efforts to hide his invincible lowness of spirits, he became another man, restless, being irritated at nothing, morose, and bored at everything and everywhere; whimsical, and never kn
- 77 His comrades got Parisel out of the house. He resisted for a week, but then sold everything he had, borrowed the money to pay Lucie's debts, and tried in vain to free himself from that weight, and to get her expelled from the town, but she always ret
- 76 The fish-curer used every Sunday to have several cousins to dinner, and they were having coffee, when a man came in with a letter in his hand.Monsieur Tournevau was much excited, he opened the envelope and grew pale; it only contained these words in penci
- 75 It was something for the family to be proud of, when a large number of relations, who had come from a distance, surrounded the child, and, consequently, the carpenter's triumph was complete.Madame Tellier's regiment, with its mistress at its hea
- 74 There was a torrent of exclamations, and they squeezed their petticoats between their legs, as if they thought he was going to ravish them, but he quietly waited his time, and said: "Well, if you will not, I shall pack them up again."And he adde
- 73 "It is a paying business," and he sends his daughter to keep a harem of fast girls, just as he would send her to keep a girls' school.She had inherited the house from an old uncle, to whom it had belonged._Monsieur_ and _Madame_, who had fo
- 72 "He was extremely daring, and when he threw himself from one trapeze to the other, in a bold flight through the air, one might almost have fancied in the silvery electric light, that he was some fabulous bird with folded wings, and he executed all hi
- 71 This time she looked her master straight in the face. "No, never, never; I will solemnly swear to you, that if he were to come to-day and ask me to marry him, I would have nothing to do with him." She spoke with such an air of sincerity that the
- 70 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 walk,
- 69 "What is your name?" "Pamela," she replied, raising her voice. And then he said: "Number one, called Pamela, is adjudged to the commandant."Then, having kissed Blondina, the second, as a sign of proprietors.h.i.+p, he proffer
- 68 His modesty surprised me all the more, because of all those performers who are generally infatuated with their own skill, he was the most wonderfully clever one that I had ever met. Certainly, I had frequently seen him, and everybody had seen him in some
- 67 She was past forty, with thin hair over her pads, and with a false plait; her linen was doubtful in color, and she had evidently bought her unfas.h.i.+onable dress at a _reach-me-down shop_. He was thin, while she was chubby. He had been handsome, proud,
- 66 Those insulting words were clearly written in her face, and at the same time I noticed that the old woman's eyes had utterly changed, for during that short moment of bravado the childish eyes had become the eyes of a monkey, of some ferocious, obstin
- 65 "It gives you a good fire in which to warm yourselves, for nothing, and the smell of my stew into the bargain."As for his money, he spent in drink with the trollop, and afterwards, what was left of it, with the other eighteen."You see,"
- 64 And, certainly, n.o.body would have believed that such a buxom woman, who looked as if her crupper were as warm as her looks, and who a.s.suredly must have liked to be well attended to, could be satisfied with such a puny husband; with such an ugly, weak,
- 63 [Footnote 4: t.i.tle given to advocates in France.--TRANSLATOR.]He had just opened his correspondence, and his long hands, on which he bestowed the greatest attention, buried themselves in a heap of female letters, and one might have thought oneself in th
- 62 The idiot had watched her, and had thrown himself upon her in order to treat her as the other young fellows did the girls, but she resisted him so stoutly that he took her by the throat and squeezed with all his might until she could not breathe, and was
- 61 "Composed of whom? Of men of the world, I suppose?""And what does this Julot do?""Oh! really, d.u.c.h.ess, you force me to speak of persons and things, which ...""Yes, yes, I force you to; we understand that. But tell me
- 60 Madame Berthe d'Avancelles had up till that time resisted all the prayers of her despairing adorer, Baron Joseph de Croissard. He had pursued her ardently in Paris during the winter, and now he was giving fetes and shooting parties in her honor at hi
- 59 Monsieur Cesaire Omont would like to find a respectable girl servant."He reflected for a few moments, and then added: "That is all, my brethren, and I wish that all of you may find the Divine mercy."And he came down from the pulpit, to fini
- 58 But he could find no opening; had no pretext, and he waited for some fortunate circ.u.mstance, with his heart ravaged, and his mind topsy-turvy. The night pa.s.sed, and the pretty girl still slept, while Morin was meditating his own fall. The day broke an
- 57 "At first we were stupefied, and felt as if some disaster had befallen us, and we looked at each other with the longing to accuse some one, but whom? Oh! Which of us? I have never felt as I did at that moment, the perfidy of that cruel joke of nature
- 56 Every ideal comes from us and all the amenities of life, in order to make our existence as simple reproducers, for which divine Providence solely intended us, less monotonous and less hard."Look at this theater. Is there not here a human world create
- 55 "So you bought me, and as soon as I was in your power, as soon as I had become your companion, ready to attach myself to you, to forget your coercive and threatening proceedings, in order that I might only remember that I ought to be a devoted wife a
- 54 And they set off towards the village, whose red tiles could be seen through the leafless trees a quarter of a league off. Service was just going to begin when they went through the village. The square was full of people, who immediately formed two hedges
- 53 He did not sleep that night. The idea of the child especially harra.s.sed him. His son! Oh! If he could only have known, have been sure? But what could he have done? However, he went to the house where she had lived, and asked about her. He was told that
- 52 "Well," he said, "tell him who I am, you! Tell him that my name is Henri Parent, that I am his father because his name is George Parent, because you are my wife, because you are all three living on my money, on the allowance of ten thousand
- 51 II Parent lived alone, quite alone. During the five weeks that followed their separation, the feeling of surprise at his new life, prevented him from thinking much. He had resumed his bachelor life, his habits of lounging about, and he took his meals at a
- 50 The Works of Guy de Maupa.s.sant.Volume II.by Guy de Maupa.s.sant.MONSIEUR PARENT I Little George was making hills of sand in one of the walks; he took it up with both his hands, made it into a pyramid, and then put a chestnut leaf on the top, and his fat
- 49 "My little man, you are most confoundedly ugly, I must say."At last, however, he renounced even that lamentable pleasure, when he heard the still more lamentable words which a wretched woman could not help uttering when he went home with her: &q