Prev | Current Page 689 | Next

?‰mile, 1840-1902

"Four Short Stories By Emile Zola"


"We've had enough of this, eh? If it doesn't suit you you'll do me the
pleasure of leaving the house. I don't want you to go yelling in my
place. Just you get it into your noodle that I mean to be quite free.
When a man pleases me I go to bed with him. Yes, I do--that's my way!
And you must make up your mind directly. Yes or no! If it's no, out you
may walk!"
She had gone and opened the door, but he did not leave. That was her way
now of binding him more closely to her. For no reason whatever, at the
slightest approach to a quarrel she would tell him he might stop or
go as he liked, and she would accompany her permission with a flood of
odious reflections. She said she could always find better than he; she
had only too many from whom to choose; men in any quantity could be
picked up in the street, and men a good deal smarter, too, whose blood
boiled in their veins. At this he would hang his head and wait for those
gentler moods when she wanted money. She would then become affectionate,
and he would forget it all, one night of tender dalliance making up
for the tortures of a whole week. His reconciliation with his wife had
rendered his home unbearable. Fauchery, having again fallen under Rose's
dominion, the countess was running madly after other loves.


Pages:
677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701