It was on the 25th of September that the building of the new façade of The Ladies' Paradise was commenced. Baron1 Hartmann, according to his promise, had had the matter settled at the last general meeting of the Crédit Immobilier. And Mouret was at length going to enjoy the realisation of his dreams; this façade, about to arise in the Rue2 du Dix-Décembre, was like the very blossoming of his fortune. He wished, therefore, to celebrate the laying of the first stone, to make a ceremony of the work, and he distributed gratuities3 amongst his employees, and gave them game and champagne4 for dinner in the evening. Every one noticed his wonderfully good humour during the ceremony, his victorious6 gesture as he laid the first stone, with a flourish of the trowel. For weeks he had been anxious, agitated7 by a nervous torment9 that he did not always succeed in concealing11; and his triumph served as a respite12, a distraction13 in his suffering. During the afternoon he seemed to have returned to his former healthy gaiety. But, after dinner, when he went through the refectory to drink a glass of champagne with his staff, he appeared feverish14 again, smiling with a painful look, his features drawn15 up by the unavowed pain that was devouring16 him. He was once more mastered by it.
The next day, in the ready-made department, Clara tried to be disagreeable with Denise. She had noticed Colomban's bashful passion, and took it into her head to joke about the Baudus. As Marguerite was sharpening her pencil while waiting for customers, she said to her, in a loud voice:
“You know my lover opposite. It really grieves me to see him in that dark shop, where no one ever enters.”
“He's not so badly off,” replied Marguerite, “he's going to marry the governor's daughter.”
“Oh! oh!” replied Clara, “it would be good fun to lead him astray, then! I'll try the game on, my word of honour!” And she continued in the same strain, happy to feel Denise was shocked. The latter forgave her everything else; but the idea of her dying cousin Geneviève, finished by this cruelty, threw her into an indignant rage. At that moment a customer came in, and as Madame Aurélie had just gone downstairs, she took the direction of the counter, and called Clara.
“Mademoiselle Prunaire, you had better attend to this lady instead of gossiping there.”
“I wasn't gossiping.”
“Have the kindness to hold your tongue, and attend to this lady immediately.”
Clara gave in, conquered. When Denise showed her authority, quietly, without raising her voice, not one of them resisted. She had acquired absolute authority by her very moderation and sweetness. For a moment she walked up and down in silence, amidst the young ladies, who had become very serious. Marguerite had resumed sharpening her pencil, the point of which was always breaking. She alone continued to approve of Denise's resistance to Mouret, shaking her head, not acknowledging the baby she had had, but declaring that if they had any idea of the consequences of such a thing, they would prefer to remain virtuous18.
“What! you're getting angry?” said a voice behind Denise.
It was Pauline, who was crossing the department. She had noticed the scene, and spoke19 in a low tone, smiling.
“But I'm obliged to,” replied Denise in the same tone, “I can't manage them otherwise.”
She was still unable to understand her friend's refusal. Since the end of August, Pauline had been married to Baugé, a most stupid affair, she would sometimes gaily22 remark. The terrible Bourdoncle treated her anyhow, now, considering her as lost for trade. Her only terror was that they might one fine day send them to love each other elsewhere, for the managers had decreed love to be execrable and fatal to business. So great was her fear, that, when she met Baugé in the galleries, she affected23 not to know him. She had just had a fright—old Jouve had nearly caught her talking to her husband behind a pile of dusters.
“See! he's followed me,” added she, after having hastily related the adventure to Denise. “Just look at him scenting25 me out with his big nose!”
Jouve, in fact, was then coming from the lace department, correctly arrayed in a white tie, his nose on the scent24 for some delinquent26. But when he saw Denise he assumed a knowing air, and passed by with an amiable27 smile.
“Saved!” murmured Pauline. “My dear, you made him swallow that! I say, if anything should happen to me, you would speak for me, wouldn't you! Yes, yes, don't put on that astonished air, we know that a word from you would revolutionise the house.”
And she ran off to her counter. Denise had blushed, troubled by these amicable28 allusions29. It was true, however. She had a vague sensation of her power by the flatteries with which she was surrounded. When Madame Aurélie returned, and found the department quiet and busy under the surveillance of the second-hand30, she smiled at her amicably31. She threw over Mouret himself, her amiability32 increased daily for this young girl who might one fine morning desire her situation as first-hand. Denise's reign33 was commencing.
Bourdoncle alone still stood out. In the secret war which he continued to carry on against the young girl, there was in the first place a natural antipathy34, he detested36 her for her gentleness and her charm. Then he fought against her as a fatal influence which would place the house in peril37 the day when Mouret should succumb38. The governor's commercial genius seemed bound to sink amidst this stupid affection: what they had gained by women would be swallowed up by this woman. None of them touched his heart, he treated them with the disdain39 of a man without passion, whose trade is to live on them, and who had had his last illusions dispelled40 by seeing them too closely in the miseries41 of his traffic. Instead of intoxicating42 him, the odour of these seventy thousand customers gave him frightful43 headaches: and so soon as he reached home he beat his mistresses. And what made him especially anxious in the presence of this little saleswoman, who had gradually become so redoubtable44, was that he did not in the least believe in her disinterestedness45, in the genuineness of her refusals. For him she was playing a part, the most skilful46 of parts; for if she had yielded at once, Mouret would doubtless have forgotten her the next day; whilst by refusing, she had goaded47 his desires, rendering48 him mad, capable of any folly49. An artful jade50, a woman learned in vice51, would not have acted any different to this pattern of innocence52.
Thus Bourdoncle could never catch sight of her, with her clear eyes, sweet face, and simple attitude, without being seized with a real fear, as if he had before him some disguised female flesh-eater, the sombre enigma54 of woman, Death in the guise53 of a virgin55. In what way could he confound the tactics of this false novice56? He was now only anxious to penetrate57 her artful ways, in the hope of exposing them to the light of day. She would certainly commit some fault, he would surprise her with one of her lovers, and she should again be dismissed. The house would then resume its regular working like a well wound-up machine.
“Keep a good look-out, Monsieur Jouve,” repeated Bourdoncle to the inspector58. “I'll take care that you shall be rewarded.”
But Jouve was somewhat lukewarm, he knew something about women, and was asking himself whether he had not better take the part of this young girl, who might be the future sovereign mistress of the place. Though he did not now dare to touch her, he still thought her bewitchingly pretty. His colonel in bygone days had killed himself for a similar little thing, with an insignificant60 face, delicate and modest, one look from whom ravaged61 all hearts.
“I do,” replied he. “But, on my word, I cannot discover anything.”
And yet stories were circulating, there was quite a stream of abominable63 tittle-tattle running beneath the flattery and respect Denise felt arising around her. The whole house now declared that she had formerly64 had Hutin for a lover; no one could swear that the intimacy65 still continued, but they were suspected of meeting from time to time. Deloche also was said to sleep with her, they were continually meeting in dark corners, talking for hours together. It was quite a scandal!
“So, nothing about the first-hand in the silk department, nor about the young man in the lace one?” asked Bourdoncle.
“No, sir, nothing yet,” replied the inspector.
It was with Deloche especially that Bourdoncle expected to surprise Denise. One morning he himself had caught them laughing together downstairs. In the meantime, he treated her on a footing of perfect equality, for he no longer disdained66 her, he felt her to be strong enough to overthrow67 even him, notwithstanding his ten years' service, if he lost the game.
“Keep your eye on the young man in the lace department,” concluded he each time. “They are always together. If you catch them, call me, I'll manage the rest.”
Mouret, however, was living in anguish69. Was it possible that this child could torture him in this manner? He could always recall her arriving at The Ladies' Paradise, with her big shoes, thin black dress, and savage70 airs. She stammered71, they all used to laugh at her, he himself had thought her ugly at first. Ugly! and now she could have brought him on his knees by a look, he thought her nothing less than an angel! Then she had remained the last in the house, repulsed74, joked at, treated by him as a curious specimen75 of humanity. For months he had wanted to see how a girl sprung up, and had amused himself at this experiment, without understanding that he was risking his heart. She, little by little grew up, became redoubtable. Perhaps he had loved her from the first moment, even at the time he thought he felt nothing but pity for her. And yet he had only really begun to feel this love the evening of their walk under the chestnut76 trees of the Tuileries. His life started from there, he could still hear the laughing of a group of little girls, the distant fall of a jet of water, whilst in the warm shade she walked on beside him in silence. After that he knew no more, his fever had increased hour by hour; all his blood, his whole being, in fact, was sacrificed. And for such a child—was it possible? When she passed him now, the slight wind from her dress seemed so powerful that he staggered.
For a long time he had struggled, and even now he frequently became indignant, endeavouring to extricate77 himself from this idiotic78 possession. What secret had she to be able to bind79 him in this way? Had he not seen her without boots? Had she not been received almost out of charity? He could have understood it had it been a question of one of those superb creatures who charm the crowd, but this little girl; this nobody! She had, in short, one of those insignificant faces which excite no remark. She could not even be very intelligent, for he remembered her bad beginning as a saleswoman. But, after every explosion of anger, he had experienced a relapse of passion, like a sacred terror at having insulted his idol80. She possessed81 everything that renders a woman good—courage, gaiety, simplicity82; and there exhaled83 from her gentleness, a charm of a penetrating84, perfume-like subtlety85. One might at first ignore her, or elbow her like any other girl; but the charm soon began to act, with a slow invincible86 force; one belonged to her for ever, if she deigned87 to smile. Everything then smiled in her white face, her pretty eyes, her cheeks and chin full of dimples; whilst her heavy blonde hair seemed to light up also, with a royal and conquering beauty. He acknowledged himself vanquished88; she was as intelligent as she was beautiful, her intelligence came from the best part of her being. Whilst the other saleswomen had only a superficial education, the varnish89 which scales off from girls of that class, she, without any false elegance90, retained her native grace, the savour of her origin. The most complete commercial ideas sprang up from her experience, under this narrow forehead, the pure lines of which clearly announced the presence of a firm will and a love of order. And he could have clasped his hands to ask her pardon for having blasphemed her during his hours of revolt.
Why did she still refuse with such obstinacy91. Twenty times had he entreated92 her, increasing his offers, offering money and more money. Then, thinking she must be ambitious, he had promised to appoint her first-hand, as soon as there should be a vacant department And she refused, and still she refused Î For him it was a stupor93, a struggle in which his desire became enraged94. Such an adventure appeared to him impossible, this child would certainly finish by yielding, for he had always regarded a woman's virtue95 as a relative matter. He could see no other object, everything disappeared before this necessity: to have her at last in his room, to take her on his knees, and, kiss her on her lips; and at this vision, the blood of his veins96 ran quick and strong, he trembled, distracted by his own powerlessness.
His days now passed in the same grievous obsession97, Denise's image rose with him; after having dreamed of her all night, it followed him before the desk in his office, where he signed his bills and orders from nine to ten o'clock: a work which he accomplished98 mechanically, never ceasing to feel her present, still saying no, with her quiet air. Then, at ten o'clock, came the board-meeting, a meeting of the twelve directors, at which he had to preside; they discussed matters affecting the in-door arrangements, examined the purchases, settled the window displays; and she was still there, he heard her soft voice amidst the figures, he saw her bright smile in the most complicated financial situations. After the board-meeting, she still accompanied him, making with him the daily inspection99 of the counters, returned with him to his office in the afternoon, remaining close to his chair from two till four o'clock, whilst he received a crowd of important business men, the principal manufacturers of all France, bankers, inventors; a continual come-and-go of the riches and intelligence of the land, an excited dance of millions, rapid interviews during which were hatched the biggest affairs on the Paris market. If he forgot her for a moment whilst deciding on the ruin or the prosperity of an industry, he found her again at a twitch100 of his heart; his voice died away, he asked himself what was the use of this princely fortune when she still refused. At last, when five o'clock struck, he had to sign the day's correspondence, the mechanical working of his hand again commenced, whilst she rose up before him more dominating than ever, seizing him entirely101, to possess him during the solitary102 and ardent103 hours of the night. And the morrow was the same day over again, those days so active, so full of a colossal104 labour, which the slight shadow of a child sufficed to ravage62 with anguish.
But it was especially during his daily inspection of the departments that he felt his misery105. To have built up this giant machine, to reign over such a world of people, and to be dying of grief because a little girl would not accept him! He scorned himself, dragging the fever and shame of his pain about with him everywhere. On certain days he became disgusted with his power, feeling a nausea106 at the very sight of the long galleries. At other times he would have wished to extend his empire, and make it so vast that she would perhaps yield out of sheer admiration107 and fear.
He first of all stopped in the basement opposite the shoot. It was still in the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin; but it had been necessary to enlarge it, and it was now as wide as the bed of a river, down which the continual flood of goods rolled with the loud noise of rushing water; it was a constant succession of arrivals from all parts of the world, rows of waggons108 from all railways, a ceaseless discharging of merchandise, a stream of boxes and bales running underground, absorbed by the insatiable establishment. He gazed at this torrent109 flowing into his house, thought of his position as one of the masters of the public fortune, that he held in his hands the fate of the French manufacturers, and that he was unable to buy a kiss from one of his saleswomen.
Then he passed on to the receiving department, which now occupied that part of the basement running along the Rue Monsigny. Twenty tables were ranged there, in the pale light of the air-holes; dozens of shopmen were bustling110 about, emptying the cases, checking the goods, and marking them in plain figures, amidst the roar of the shoot, which almost drowned their voices. Various managers of departments stopped him, he had to resolve difficulties and confirm orders. This cellar was filled with the tender glimmer111 of the satin, the whiteness of the linen112, a prodigious113 unpacking114 in which the furs were mingled115 with the lace, the fancy goods with the Eastern curtains. With a slow step he made his way amongst all these riches thrown about in disorder116, heaped up in their rough state. Above, they were destined117 to ornament118 the window displays, letting loose the race after money across the counters, no sooner shown than carried off, in the furious current of business which traversed the place. He thought of his having offered the young girl silks, velvets, anything she liked to take in any quantities, from these enormous heaps, and that she had refused by a shake of her fair head.
After that, he passed on to the other end of the basement, to pay his usual visit to the delivery department. Interminable corridors ran along, lighted up with gas; to the right and to the left, the reserves, closed in with gratings, were like so many subterranean120 stores, a complete commercial quarter, with its haberdashery, underclothing, glove, and other shops, sleeping in the shade. Further on was placed one of the three stoves; further still, a fireman's post guarding the gas-meter, enclosed in its iron cage. He found, in the delivery department, the sorting tables already blocked with loads of parcels, bandboxes, and cases, continually arriving in large baskets; and Campion, the superintendent121, gave him some particulars about the current work, whilst the twenty men placed under his orders distributed the parcels into large compartments122, each bearing the name of a district of Paris, and from whence the messengers took them up to the vans, ranged along the pavement. One heard a series of cries, names of streets, and recommendations shouted out; quite an uproar123, an agitation124 such as on board a mail boat about to start. And he stood there for a moment, motionless, looking at this discharge of goods which he had just seen absorbed by the house, at the opposite extremity125 of the basement: the enormous current there discharged itself into the street, after having filled the tills with gold. His eyes became misty126, this colossal business no longer had any importance; he had but one idea, that of going away to some distant, land, and abandoning everything, if she persisted in saying no.
He then went upstairs, continuing his inspection, talking, and agitating127 himself more and more, without finding any respite. On the second floor he entered the correspondence department, picking quarrels, secretly exasperated128 against the perfect regularity129 of this machine that he had himself built up. This department was the one that was daily assuming the most considerable importance; it now required two hundred employees—some opening, reading, and classifying the letters coming from the provinces and abroad, whilst others gathered into compartments the goods ordered by the correspondents. And the number of letters was increasing to such an extent that they no longer counted them; they weighed them, receiving as much as a hundred pounds per day. He, feverish, went through the three offices, questioning Levasseur as to the weight of the correspondence; eighty pounds, ninety pounds, sometimes, on a Monday, a hundred pounds. The figure increased daily, he ought to have been delighted. But he stood shuddering130, in the noise made by the neighbouring squad131 of packers nailing down the cases. Vainly he roamed about the house; the fixed132 idea remained fast in his mind, and as his power unfolded itself before him, as the mechanism133 of the business and the army of employees passed before his gaze, he felt more profoundly than ever the insult of his powerlessness. Orders from all Europe were flowing in, a special post-office van was required for his correspondence; and yet she said no, always no.
He went downstairs again, visiting the central cashier's office, where four clerks guarded the two giants safes, in which there had passed the previous year forty-eight million francs. He glanced at the clearing-house, which now occupied twenty-five clerks, chosen from amongst the most trustworthy. He went into the next office, where twenty-five young men, junior clerks, were engaged in checking the debit-notes, and calculating the salesmen's commission. He returned to the chief cashier's office, exasperated at the sight of the safes, wandering amidst these millions, the uselessness of which drove him mad. She said no, always no.
And it was always no, in all the departments, in the galleries, in the saloons, and in every part of the establishment! He went from the silk to the drapery department, from the linen to the lace department, he ascended135 to the upper floors, stopping on the flying bridges, prolonging his inspection with a maniacal136, grievous minuteness. The house had grown out of all bounds, he had created this department, then this other; he governed this fresh domain137, he extended his empire into this industry, the last one conquered; and it was no, always no, in spite of everything. His staff would now have sufficed to people a small town: there were fifteen hundred salesmen, and a thousand other employees of every sort, including forty inspectors138 and seventy cashiers; the kitchens alone gave occupation to thirty-two men; ten clerks were set apart for the advertising139; there were three hundred and fifty shop messengers, all wearing livery, and twenty-four firemen living on the premises140. And, in the stables, royal buildings situated141 in the Rue Monsigny, opposite the warehouse142, were one hundred and forty-five horses, a luxurious143 establishment which was already celebrated144 in Paris. The first four conveyances145 which used formerly to stir up the whole neighbourhood, when the house occupied only the corner of the Place Gaillon, had gradually increased to sixty-two trucks, one-horse vans, and heavy two-horse ones. They were continually scouring146 Paris, driven with knowing skill by drivers dressed in black, promenading147 the gold and purple sign of The Ladies' Paradise. They even went beyond the fortifications, into the suburbs; they were to be met on the dusty roads of Bicêtre, along the banks of the Marne, even in the shady drives of the Forest of Saint-Germain. Sometimes one would spring up from the depths of some sunny avenue, where all was silent and deserted148, the superb animals trotting149 along, throwing into the mysterious peacefulness of this grand nature the loud advertisement of its varnished150 panels. He was even dreaming of launching them further still, into the neighbouring departments; he would have liked to hear them rolling along every road in France, from one frontier to the other. But he no longer even troubled to visit his horses, though he was passionately151 fond of them. Of what good was this conquest of the world, since it was no, always no?
At present, in the evening, when he arrived at Lhomme's desk, he still looked through habit at the amount of the takings written on a card, which the cashier stuck on an iron file at his side; this figure rarely fell below a hundred thousand francs, sometimes it ran up to eight and nine hundred thousand, on big sale days; but these figures no longer sounded in his ears like a trumpet-blast, he regretted having looked at them, going away full of bitterness and scorn for money.
But Mouret's sufferings were destined to increase, for he became jealous. One morning, in the office, before the boardmeeting commenced, Bourdoncle ventured to hint that the little girl in the ready-made department was playing with him.
“How?” asked he, very pale.
“Yes! she has lovers in this very building.”
Mouret found strength to smile. “I don't think any more about her, my dear fellow. You can speak freely. Who are her lovers?”
“Hutin, they say, and then a salesman in the lace department—Deloche, that tall awkward fellow. I can't speak with certainty, never having seen them together. But it appears that it's notorious.”
There was a silence. Mouret affected to arrange the papers on his desk, to conceal10 the trembling of his hands. At last, he observed, without raising his head: “We must have proofs, try and bring me some proofs. As for me, I assure you I don't, care in the least, for I'm quite sick of her. But we can't allow such things to go on here.”
Bourdoncle simply replied: “Never fear, you shall have proofs one of these days. I'm keeping a good look out.”
This news deprived Mouret of all rest. He no longer had the courage to return to this conversation, but lived in the continual expectation of a catastrophe152, in which his heart would be crushed. And this torment rendered him terrible, the whole house trembled before him. He now disdained to conceal himself behind Bourdoncle, but performed the executions in person, feeling a nervous desire for revenge, solacing153 himself by an abuse of his power, of that power which could do nothing for the contentment of his sole desire. Each one of his inspections154 became a massacre155, his appearance caused a panic to run along from counter to counter. The dead winter season was just then approaching, and he made a clean sweep in the departments, multiplying the victims and pushing them into the streets. His first idea had been to dismiss Hutin and Deloche; then he had reflected that if he did not keep them, he would never discover anything; and the others suffered for them: the whole staff trembled. In the evening, when he found himself alone again, his eyes swelled156 up, big with tears.
One day especially terror reigned157 supreme158. An inspector had the idea that Mignot was stealing. There were always a lot of strange-looking girls prowling around his counter; and one of them had just been arrested, her thighs159 and bosom160 padded with sixty pairs of gloves. From that moment a watch was kept, and the inspector caught Mignot in the act, facilitating the sleight161 of hand of a tall fair girl, formerly a saleswoman at the Louvre, but since gone wrong: the manouvre was very simple, he affected to try some gloves on her, waited till she had padded herself, and then conducted her to the pay-desk, where she paid for a single pair only. Mouret happened to be there, just at that moment. As a rule, he preferred not to mix himself up with these sort of adventures, which were pretty frequent; for notwithstanding the regular working of the well-arranged machine, great disorder reigned in certain departments of The Ladies' Paradise, and scarcely a week passed without some employee being dismissed for theft. The authorities preferred to hush162 up such matters as far as possible, considering it useless to set the police at work, and thus expose one of the fatal plague-spots of these great bazaars164. But, that day, Mouret felt a real need of getting angry with some one, and he treated the handsome Mignot with such violence, and the latter stood there trembling with fear, his face pale and discomposed.
“I ought to call a policeman,” cried Mouret, before all the other salesmen. “But why don't you answer? who is this woman? I swear I'll send for the police, if you don't tell me the truth.”
They had taken the woman away, and two saleswomen were undressing her. Mignot stammered out: “I don't know her, sir. She's the one who came——”
“Don't tell lies!” interrupted Mouret, in a violent rage. “And there's nobody here to warn us! You are all in the plot, on my word! We are in a regular wood, robbed, pillaged165, plundered167. It's enough to make us have the pockets of each one searched before going out!”
“Silence!” resumed he, furiously, “or I'll clear the place!”
But Bourdoncle came running up, anxious at the idea of the scandal. He whispered a few words in Mouret's ear, the affair was assuming an exceptional gravity; and he prevailed on him to take Mignot into the inspectors' office, a room on the ground floor near the entrance in the Rue Gaillon. The woman was there, quietly putting on her stays again. She had just mentioned Albert Lhomme's name. Mignot, again questioned, lost his head, and commenced to sob169; he wasn't in fault, it was Albert who sent him his mistresses; at first he had merely afforded them certain advantages, enabling them to profit by the bargains; then, when they at last took to stealing, he was already too far compromised to report the matter. The principals now discovered a series of extraordinary robberies; goods taken away by girls, who went into the neighbouring W.Cs, built near the refreshment170 bar and surrounded by evergreen171 plants, to hide the goods under their petticoats; purchases that a salesman neglected to call out at a pay-desk, when he accompanied a customer there, the price of which he divided with the cashier; even down to false returns, articles which they announced as brought back to the house, pocketing the money thus repaid; without even mentioning the classical robbery, parcels taken out under their coats in the evening, rolled round their bodies, and sometimes even hung down their leg's. For the last fourteen months, thanks to Mignot and other salesmen, no doubt, whom they refused to name, this pilfering172 had been going on at Albert's desk, quite an impudent173 trade, for sums of which no one ever knew the exact total.
Meanwhile the news had spread into the various departments, causing the guilty consciences to tremble, and the most honest ones to quake at the general sweep that seemed imminent174. Albert had disappeared into the inspectors' office. Next his father had passed, choking, his face full of blood, showing signs of apoplexy. Madame Aurélie herself was then called; and she, her head high beneath the affront175, had the fat, puffed176-up appearance of a wax mask. The explanation lasted some time, no one knew the exact details; but it was said the firsthand had slapped her son's face, and that the worthy134 old father wept, whilst the governor, contrary to all his elegant habits, swore like a trooper, absolutely wanting to deliver the offenders177 up to justice. However, the scandal was hushed up. Mignot was the only one dismissed there and then. Albert did not disappear till two days later; no doubt his mother had begged that the family should not be dishonoured178 by an immediate17 execution. But the panic lasted several days longer, for after this scene Mouret had wandered from one end of the establishment to the other, with a terrible expression, venting179 his anger on all those who dared even to raise their eyes.
“What are you doing there, sir, looking at the flies? Go and be paid!”
At last, the storm burst one day on the head of Hutin himself. Favier, appointed second-hand, was undermining the first-hand, in order to dislodge him from his position. This was always the way; he addressed crafty180 reports to the directors, taking advantage of every occasion to have the first-hand caught doing something wrong. Thus, one morning, as Mouret was going through the silk department, he stopped, surprised to see Favier engaged in altering the price tickets of a stock of black velvet119.
“Why are you lowering the prices?” asked he. “Who gave you the order to do so?”
The second-hand, who was making a great noise over this work, as if he wished to attract the governor's attention, foreseeing the result, replied with an innocent, surprised air:
“Why, Monsieur Hutin told me, sir.”
“Monsieur Hutin! Where is Monsieur Hutin?”
And when the latter came upstairs, called by a salesman, an animated181 explanation ensued. What! he undertook to lower the prices himself now! But he appeared greatly astonished in his turn, having merely talked over the matter with Favier, without giving any positive orders. The latter then assumed the sorrowful air of an employee who finds himself obliged to contradict his superior. However, he was quite willing to accept the blame, if it would get the latter out of a scrape. Things began to look very bad.
“Understand, Monsieur Hutin!” cried Mouret, “I have never tolerated these attempts at independence. We alone decide about the prices.”
He continued, with a sharp voice, and wounding intentions, which surprised the salesmen, for as a rule these discussions were carried on quietly, and the case might really have resulted from a misunderstanding. One could feel he had some unavowed spite to satisfy. He had at last caught that Hutin at fault, that Hutin who was said to be Denise's lover! He could now solace182 himself, by making him feel that he was the master! And he exaggerated matters, even insinuating183 that this reduction of price appeared to conceal very questionable184 intentions.
“Sir,” repeated Hutin, “I meant to consult you about it. It is really necessary, as you know, for these velvets have not succeeded.”
Mouret cut him short with a final insult. “Very good, sir; we will look into the matter. But don't do such a thing again, if you value your place.”
And he walked off. Hutin, bewildered, furious, finding no one but Favier to confide185 in, swore he would go and throw his resignation at the brute's head. But he soon left off talking of going away, and began to stir up all the abominable accusations186 which were current amongst the salesmen against their chiefs. And Favier, his eye sparkling, defended himself with a great show of sympathy. He was obliged to reply, wasn't he? Besides, could any one have foreseen such a row for so trifling187 a matter? What had come to the governor lately, that he should be so unbearable188?
“We all know what's the matter with him,” replied Hutin, “Is it my fault if that little jade in the dress-department is turning his head? My dear fellow, you can see the blow comes from there. He's aware I've slept with her, and he doesn't like it; or perhaps it's she herself who wants to get me pitched out, because I'm in her way. But I swear she shall hear from me, if ever she crosses my path.”
Two days after, as Hutin was going up into the work-room, upstairs, under the roof, to recommend a person, he started on perceiving at the end of a passage Denise and Deloche leaning out of a window, and plunged189 so deeply in private conversation that they did not even turn round. The idea of having them caught occurred to him suddenly, when he perceived with astonishment190 that Deloche was weeping. He at once went away without making any noise; and meeting Bourdoncle and Jouve on the stairs, told them some story about one of the extincteurs the door of which seemed to be broken; in this way they would go upstairs and drop on to the two others. Bourdoncle discovered them first. He stopped short, and told Jouve to go and fetch the governor, whilst he remained there. The inspector had to obey, greatly annoyed at being forced to compromise himself in such a matter.
This was a lost corner of the vast world in which the people of The Ladies' Paradise worked. One arrived there by a complication of stairs and passages. The work-rooms occupied the top of the house, a succession of low sloping rooms, lighted by large windows cut in the zinc191 roof, furnished solely192 with long tables and enormous iron stoves; and right along were a crowd of work-girls of all sorts, for the under-clothing, the lace, the dressmaking, and the house furnishing; living winter and summer in a stifling193 heat, amidst the odour special to the business; and one had to go straight through the wing, and turn to the right on passing the dressmakers, before coming to this solitary end of the corridor. The rare customers, that a salesman occasionally brought here for an order, gasped194 for breath, tired out, frightened, with the sensation of having been turning round for hours and hours, and of being a hundred leagues above the street.
Denise had often found Deloche waiting for her. As secondhand she had charge of the arrangements between her department and the work-room where only the models and alterations195 were done, and was always going up and down to give the necessary orders. He watched for her, inventing any pretext196 to run after her; then he affected to be surprised when he met her at the work-room door. She got to laugh about the matter, it became quite an understood thing. The corridor ran alongside the cistern197, an enormous iron tank containing twelve thousand gallons of water; and there was another one of equal size on the roof, reached by an iron ladder. For an instant, Deloche would stand talking, leaning with one shoulder against the cistern in the continual abandonment of his long body, bent198 with fatigue199. The noise of the water was heard, a mysterious noise of which the iron tank ever retained the musical vibration200. Notwithstanding the deep silence, Denise would turn round anxiously, thinking she had seen a shadow pass on the bare, yellow-painted walls. But the window would soon attract them, they would lean out, and forget themselves in a pleasant gossip, in endless souvenirs of their native place. Below them, extended the immense glass roof of the central gallery, a lake of glass bounded by the distant housetops, like a rocky coast. Beyond, they saw nothing but the sky, a sheet of sky, which reflected in the sleeping water of the glazed201 work the flight of its clouds and the tender blue of its azure202.
It so happened that Deloche was speaking of Valognes that day. “I was six years old; my mother took me to Valognes market in a cart. You know it's ten miles away; we had to leave Bricquebec at five o'clock. It's a fine country down our way. Do you know it?”
“Yes, yes,” replied Denise, slowly, her looks lost in the distance. “I was there once, but was very little then. Nice roads with grass on each side, aren't there? and now and again sheep browsing203 in couples, dragging their clog204 along by the rope.” She stopped, then resumed with a vague smile: “Our roads run as straight as an arrow for miles between rows of trees which afford a lot of shade. We have meadows surrounded with hedges taller than I am, where there are horses and cows feeding. We have a little river, and the water is very cold, under the brushwood, in a spot I know well.”
“It is the same with us, exactly!” cried Deloche, delighted. “There's grass everywhere, each one encloses his plot with thorns and elms, and is at once at home; and it's quite green, a green far different to what we see in Paris. Dear me! what fun I've had at the bottom of the road, to the left, coming down from the mill!”
And their voices died away, they stopped with their eyes fixed and lost on the sunny lake of the glazed work. A mirage205 rose up before them from this blinding water, they saw an endless succession of meadows, the Cotentin bathed in the balmy breath of the ocean, a luminous206 vapour, which melted the horizon into a delicate pearly grey. Below, under the colossal iron framework, in the silk hall, roared the business, the trepidation207 of the machine at work; the entire house vibrated with the trampling208 of the crowd, the bustle209 of the shopmen, and the life of the thirty thousand persons elbowing each other there; and they, carried away by their dreams, on feeling this profound and dull clamour with which the roofs were resounding210, thought they heard the wind passing over the grass, shaking the tall trees.
“Ah! Mademoiselle Denise,” stammered Deloche, “why aren't you kinder to me? I love you so much!” Tears had come into his eyes, and as she tried to interrupt him with a gesture, he continued quickly: “No—let me tell you these things once more. We should get on so well together! People always find something to talk about when they come from the same place.”
He was choking, and she at last managed to say kindly211: “You're not reasonable; you promised me never to speak of that again. It's impossible. I have a good friendship for you, because you're a nice fellow; but I wish to remain free.”
“Yes, yes. I know it,” replied he in a broken voice, “you don't love me. Oh! you may say so, I quite understand it. There's nothing in me to make you love me. Listen, I've only had one sweet moment in my life, and that was when I met you at Joinville, do you remember? For a moment under the trees, when it was so dark, I thought your arm trembled, and was stupid enough to imagine——”
But she again interrupted him. Her quick ear had just caught Bourdoncle's and Jouve's steps at the end of the corridor.
“Hark, there's some one coming.”
“No,” said he, preventing her leaving the window, “it's in the cistern: all sorts of extraordinary noises come up from it, as if there were some one inside.”
And he continued his timid, caressing212 complaints. She was no longer listening to him, rocked into dreamland by this declaration of love, her looks wandering over the roofs of The Ladies' Paradise. To the right and the left of the glazed gallery, other galleries, other halls, were glistening213 in the sun, between the tops of the houses, pierced with windows and running along symmetrically, like the wings of a barracks. Immense metallic214 works rose up, ladders, bridges, describing a lacework of iron in the air; whilst the kitchen chimneys threw out an immense volume of smoke like a factory, and the great square cistern, supported in the air on wrought-iron pillars, assumed a strange, barbarous profile, hoisted215 up to this height by the pride of one man. In the distance, Paris was roaring.
When Denise returned from this dreamy state, from this fanciful development of The Ladies' Paradise, in which her thoughts floated as in a vast solitude216, she found that Deloche had seized her hand. And he appeared so woe-begone, so full of grief, that she had not the heart to draw it away.
“Forgive me,” he murmured. “It's all over now; I should be quite too miserable217 if you punished me by withdrawing your friendship. I assure you I intended to say something else. Yes, I had determined218 to understand the situation and be very good.” His tears again began to flow, he tried to steady his voice. “For I know my lot in life. It is too late for my luck to turn. Beaten at home, beaten in Paris, beaten everywhere. I've now been here four years and am still the last in the department So I wanted to tell you not to trouble on my account. I won't annoy you any longer. Try to be happy, love some one else; yes, that would really be a pleasure for me. If you are happy, I shall be also. That will be my happiness.”
He could say no more. As if to seal his promise he raised the young girl's hand to his lips—kissing it with the humble219 kiss of a slave. She was deeply affected, and said simply, in a tender, sisterly tone, which attenuated220 somewhat the pity of the words:
“My poor boy!”
For the last ten minutes, Jouve had been searching for the governor all over the place; but the latter was looking at the works going on for the new façade in the Rue du Dix-Décembre. He spent long hours there every day, trying to interest himself in this work, of which he had so long dreamed. This was his refuge against his torments221, amidst the masons laying the immense corner-stones, and the engineers setting up the great iron framework. The façade already appeared above the level of the street, indicating the vast porch, and the windows of the first storey, a palace-like development in its crude state. He scaled the ladders, discussing with the architect the ornamentation which was to be something quite new, scrambled222 over the heaps of brick and iron, and even went down into the cellar; and the roar of the steam-engine, the tic-tac of the trowels, the noise of the hammers, the clamour of this people of workmen, all over this immense cage surrounded by sonorous223 planks224, really distracted him for an instant. He came out white with plaster, black with iron-filings, his feet splashed by the water from the pumps, his pain so far from being cured that his anguish returned and his heart beat stronger than ever, as the noise of the works died away behind him. It so happened, on the day in question, a slight distraction had restored him his gaiety, and he was deeply interested in an album of drawings of the mosaics225 and enamelled terra-cottas which were to decorate the friezes226, when Jouve came up to fetch him, out of breath, annoyed at being obliged to dirty his coat amongst all this building material. At first Mouret had cried out that they must wait; then, at a word spoken in a low tone by the inspector, he had immediately followed him, shivering, a prey227 again to his passion. Nothing else existed, the façade crumbled228 away before being built; what was the use of this supreme triumph of his pride, if the simple name of a woman whispered in his ear tortured him to this extent.
Upstairs, Bourdoncle and Jouve thought it prudent229 to vanish. Deloche had already run away, Denise alone remained to face Mouret, paler than usual, but looking straight into his eyes.
“Have the kindness to follow me, mademoiselle,” said he in a harsh voice.
She followed him, they descended230 the two storeys, and crossed the furniture and carpet departments without saying a word. When he arrived at his office, he opened the door wide, saying, “Walk in, mademoiselle.”
And, closing the door, he went to his desk. The new director's office was fitted up more luxuriously231 than the old one, the reps hangings had been replaced by velvet ones, and a book-case, incrusted with ivory, occupied one whole side; but on the walls there was still no picture but the portrait of Madame Hédouin, a young woman with a handsome calm face, smiling in its gold frame.
“Mademoiselle,” said he at last, trying to maintain a cold, severe air, “there are certain things that we cannot tolerate. Good conduct is absolutely necessary here.”
He stopped, choosing his words, in order not to yield to the furious anger which was rising up within him. What! she loved this fellow, this miserable salesman, the laughingstock of his counter! and it was the humblest, the most awkward of all that she preferred to him, the master! for he had seen them, she leaving her hand in his, and he covering that hand with kisses.
“I've been very good to you, mademoiselle,” continued he, making a fresh effort “I little expected to be rewarded in this way.”
Denise, immediately on entering, had been attracted by Madame Hédouin's portrait; and, notwithstanding her great trouble, was still pre-occupied by it. Every time she came into the director's office her eyes were sure to meet those of this lady. She felt almost afraid of her, although she knew her to have been very good. This time, she felt her to be a protection.
“You are right, sir,” he said, softly, “I was wrong to stop and talk, and I beg your pardon for doing so. This young man comes from my part of the country.”
“I'll dismiss him!” cried Mouret, putting all his suffering into this furious cry.
And, completely overcome, entirely forgetting his position as a director lecturing a saleswoman guilty of an infraction232 of the rules, he broke out into a torrent of violent words. Had she no shame in her? a young girl like her abandoning herself to such a being! and he even made most atrocious accusations, introducing Hutin's name into the affair, and then others, in such a flood of words, that she could not even defend herself. But he would make a clean sweep, and kick them all out. The severe explanation he had promised himself, when following Jouve, had degenerated233 into the shameful234 violence of a scene of jealousy235.
“Yes, your lovers! They told me about it, and I was stupid enough to doubt it But I was the only one! I was the only one!”
Denise, suffocating236, bewildered, stood listening to these frightful charges, which she had not at first understood. Did he really suppose her to be as bad as this? At another remark, harsher than all the rest, she silently turned towards the door. And, in reply to a movement he made to stop her, said:
“Let me alone, sir, I'm going away. If you think me what you say, I will not remain in the house another second.”
But he rushed in front of the door, exclaiming: “Why don't you defend yourself? Say something!”
She stood there very stiff, maintaining an icy silence. For a long time he pressed her with questions, with a growing anxiety; and the mute dignity of this innocent girl once more appeared to be the artful calculation of a woman learned in all the tactics of passion. She could not have played a game better calculated to bring him to her feet, tortured by doubt, desirous of being convinced.
“Come, you say he is from your part of the country? Perhaps you've met there formerly. Swear that there has been nothing between you and this fellow.”
And as she obstinately237 remained silent, as if still wishing to open the door and go away, he completely lost his head, and broke out into a supreme explosion of grief.
“Good heavens! I love you! I love you! Why do you delight in tormenting239 me like this? You can see that nothing else exists, that the people of whom I speak only touch me through you, and you alone can occupy my thoughts. Thinking you were jealous, I gave up all my pleasures. You were told I had mistresses; well! I have them no longer; I hardly set foot outside. Did I not prefer you at that lady's house? have I not broken with her to belong solely to you? And I am still waiting for a word of thanks, a little gratitude240. And if you fear that I should return to her, you may feel quite easy: she is avenging241 herself by helping242 one of our former salesmen to found a rival establishment. Tell me, must I go on my knees to touch your heart?”
He had come to this. He, who did not tolerate the slightest peccadillo243 with the shopwomen, who turned them out for the least caprice, found himself reduced to imploring244 one of them not to go away, not to abandon him in his misery. He held the door against her, ready to forgive her everything, to shut his eyes, if she merely deigned to lie. And it was true, he had got thoroughly245 sick of girls picked up at theatres and night-houses; he had long since given up Clara and now ceased to visit at Madame Desforges's house, where Bouthemont reigned supreme, while waiting for the opening of the new shop, The Four Seasons, which was already filling the newspapers with its advertisements.
“Must I go on my knees?” repeated he, almost choked by suppressed tears.
She stopped him, herself quite unable to conceal her emotion, deeply affected by this suffering passion. “You are wrong, sir, to agitate8 yourself in this way,” replied she, at last “I assure you that all these wicked reports are untrue. This poor fellow you have just seen is no more guilty than I am.”
She said this with her brave, frank air, looking with her bright eyes straight into his face.
“Very good, I believe you,” murmured he. “I'll not dismiss any of your comrades, since you take all these people under your protection. But why, then, do you repulse73 me, if you love no one else?”
A sudden constraint246, an anxious bashfulness seized the young girl.
“You love some one, don't you?” resumed he, in a trembling voice. “Oh! you may speak out; I have no claim on your affections. Do you love any one?”
She turned very red, her heart was in her mouth, and she felt all falsehood impossible before this emotion which was betraying her, this repugnance247 for a lie which made the truth appear in her face in spite of all.
“Yes,” she at last confessed, feebly. “But I beg you to let me go away, sir, you are torturing me.”
She was now suffering in her turn. Was it not enough to have to defend herself against him? Was she to be obliged to fight against herself, against the breath of tenderness which sometimes took away all her courage? When he spoke to her thus, when she saw him so full of emotion, so overcome, she hardly knew why she still refused; and it was only afterwards that she found, in the depths of her healthy, girlish nature, the pride and the prudence248 which maintained her intact in her virtuous resolution. It was by a sort of instinct of happiness that she still remained so obstinate238, to satisfy her need of a quiet life, and not from any idea of virtue. She would have fallen into this man's arms, her heart seduced249, her flesh overpowered if she had not experienced a sort of revolt, almost a feeling of repulsion before the definite bestowal250 of her being, ignorant of her future fate. The lover made her afraid, inspiring her with that fear that all women feel at the approach of the male.
Mouret gave way to a gesture of gloomy discouragement. He could not understand her. He turned towards his desk, took up some papers and then laid them down again, saying: “I will retain you no longer, mademoiselle; I cannot keep you against your will.”
“But I don't wish to go away,” replied she, smiling. “If you believe me to be innocent, I will remain. One ought always to believe a woman to be virtuous, sir. There are numbers who are so, I assure you.”
Denise's eyes had involuntarily wandered towards Madame Hédouin's portrait: that lady so wise and so beautiful, whose blood, they said, had brought good fortune to the house. Mouret followed the young girl's look with a start, for he thought he heard his dead wife pronounce this phrase, one of her own sayings which he at once recognised. And it was like a resurrection, he discovered in Denise the good sense, the just equilibrium251 of her he had lost, even down to the gentle voice, sparing of useless words. He was struck by this resemblance, which rendered him sadder still.
“You know I am yours,” murmured he in conclusion. “Do what you like with me.”
Then she resumed gaily: “That is right, sir. The advice of a woman, however humble she may be, is always worth listening to when she has a little intelligence. If you put yourself in my hands, be sure I'll make nothing but a good man of you!”
She smiled, with that simple unassuming air which had such a charm. He also smiled in a feeble way, and escorted her as far as the door, as he would a lady.
The next day Denise was appointed first-hand. The dress and costume department was divided, the management creating especially for her one for children's costumes, which was installed close to the ready-made one. Since her son's dismissal, Madame Aurélie had been trembling, for she found the directors getting cool towards her, and saw the young girl's power increasing daily. Would they not shortly sacrifice her in favour of this latter, by taking advantage of the first pretext? Her emperor's mask, puffed up with fat, seemed to have got thinner from the shame which now stained the whole Lhomme dynasty; and she made a show of going away every evening on her husband's arm, for they were brought nearer together by misfortune, and felt vaguely252 that the evil came from the disorder of their home; whilst the poor old man, more affected than her, in a sickly fear of being himself suspected of robbery, counted over the receipts, again and again, noisily, performing miracles with his amputated arm. So that, when she saw Denise appointed first-hand in the children's costume department, she experienced such joy that she paraded the most affectionate feeling towards the young girl, really grateful to her for not having taken her place away. And she overwhelmed her with attentions, treating her as an equal, often going to talk to her in the neighbouring department, with a stately air, like a queen-mother paying a visit to a young queen.
In fact, Denise was now at the summit. Her appointment as first-hand had destroyed the last resistance. If some still babbled253, from that itching59 of the tongue which ravages254 every assemblage of men and women, they bowed very low before her face. Marguerite, now second-hand, was full of praise for her. Clara, herself, inspired with a secret respect before this good fortune, which she felt herself incapable255 of achieving, had bowed her head. But Denise's victory was more complete still over the gentlemen; over Jouve, who now bent almost double whenever he addressed her; over Hutin, seized with anxiety on feeling his position giving way under him; and over Bourdoncle, reduced at last to powerlessness. When the latter saw her coming out of the director's office, smiling, with her quiet air, and that the next day Mouret had insisted on the board creating this new department, he had yielded, vanquished by a sacred terror of woman. He had always given in thus before Mouret, recognising him to be his master, notwithstanding his escapades and his idiotic love affairs. This time the woman had proved the stronger, and he was expecting to be swept away by the disaster.
However, Denise bore her triumph in a peaceable, charming manner, happy at these marks of consideration, even affecting to see in them a sympathy for the miseries of her debut256 and the final success of her patient courage. Thus she received with a laughing joy the slightest marks of friendship, and this caused her to be really loved by some, she was so kind, sympathetic, and full of affection. The only person for whom she still showed an invincible repugnance was Clara, having learned that this girl had amused herself by taking Colomban home with her one night as she had said she would do for a joke; and he, carried away by his passion, was becoming more dissipated every day, whilst poor Geneviève was slowly dying. The adventure was talked of at The Ladies' Paradise, and thought very droll257.
But this trouble, the only one she had outside, did not in any way change Denise's equable temper. It was especially in her department that she was seen at her best, in the midst of her little world of babies of all ages. She was passionately fond of children, and she could not have been placed in a better position. Sometimes there were fully5 fifty girls and as many boys there, quite a turbulent school, let loose in their growing coquettish desires. The mothers completely lost their heads. She, conciliating, smiling, had the little ones placed in a line, on chairs; and when there happened to be amongst the number a rosy-cheeked little angel, whose pretty face tempted258 her, she would insist on serving her herself, bringing the dress and trying it on the child's dimpled shoulders, with the tender precaution of an elder sister. There were fits of laughter, cries of joy, amidst the scolding voices of the mothers. Sometimes a little girl, already a grand lady, nine or ten years old, having a cloth jacket to try on, would stand studying it before a glass, turning round, with an absorbed air, her eyes sparkling with a desire to please. The counters were encumbered259 with the things unpacked260, dresses in pink and blue Asian linen for children of from one to five years, blue sailor costumes, with plaited skirt and blouse, trimmed with fine cambric muslin, Louis XV. costumes, mantles261, jackets, a pell-mell of narrow garments, stiffened262 in their infantine grace, something like the cloak-room of a regiment263 of big dolls, taken out of the wardrobes and given up to pillage166. Denise had always a few sweets in her pockets, to appease264 the tears of some youngster in despair at not being able to carry off a pair of red trousers; and she lived there amongst these little ones as in her own family, feeling quite young again herself from the contact of all this innocence and freshness incessantly265 renewed around her skirts.
She now had frequent friendly conversations with Mouret. When she went to the office to take orders and furnish information, he kept her talking, enjoying the sound of her voice. It was what she laughingly called “making a good man of him.” In her prudent, cautious Norman head there sprang up all sorts of projects, ideas about the new business which she had already ventured to hint at when at Robineau's, and some of which she had expressed on the evening of their walk in the Tuileries gardens. She could not be occupied in any matter, see any work going on, without being moved with a desire to introduce some improvement in the mechanism. Then, since her entry into The Ladies' Paradise, she was especially pained by the precarious266 position of the employees; the sudden dismissals shocked her, she thought them iniquitous267 and stupid, hurtful to all, to the house as much as to the staff. Her former sufferings were still fresh in her mind, and her heart was seized with pity every time she saw a new comer, her feet bruised268, her eyes dim with tears, dragging herself along in her misery in her silk dress, amidst the spiteful persecution269 of the old hands. This dog's life made the best of them bad; and the sad work of destruction commenced: all eaten up by the trade before the age of forty, disappearing, falling into unknown places, a great many dying in harness, some of consumption and exhaustion270, others of fatigue and bad air, a few thrown on the street, the happiest married, buried in some little provincial271 shop. Was it humane272, was it just, this frightful consumption of human life that the big shops carried on every year? And she pleaded the cause of the wheel-work of the colossal machine, not from any sentimental273 reasons, but by arguments appealing to the very interests of the employers. To make a machine solid and strong, it is necessary to use good iron; if the iron breaks or is broken, there is a stoppage of work, repeated expenses of starting, quite a loss of power.
Sometimes she would become quite animated, she would picture an immense ideal bazaar163, the phalansterium of modern commerce, in which each one should have his exact share of the profits, according to his merits, with the certainty of the future, assured to him by a contract Mouret would feel amused at this, notwithstanding his fever. He accused her of socialism, embarrassed her by pointing out the difficulties of carrying out these schemes; for she spoke in the simplicity of her soul, bravely trusting in the future, when she perceived a dangerous hole underlying274 her tender-hearted plans. He was, however, shaken, captivated by this young voice, still trembling from the evils endured, so convinced and earnest in pointing out the reforms which would tend to consolidate275 the house; yet he listened while joking with her; the salesmen's position gradually improved, the wholesale276 dismissals were replaced by a system of holidays granted during the dead seasons, and there was also about to be created a sort of benefit club which would protect the employees against bad times and ensure them a pension. It was the embryo277 of the vast trades' unions of the twentieth century.
Denise did not confine her attention solely to healing the wounds from which she had herself bled; she conceived various delicate feminine ideas, which, communicated to Mouret, delighted the customers. She also caused Lhomme's happiness by supporting a scheme he had long nourished, that of creating a band of music, in which all the executants should be chosen from amongst the staff. Three months later Lhomme had a hundred and twenty musicians under his direction, the dream of his whole life was realised. And a grand fête was given on the premises, a concert and a ball, to introduce the band of The Ladies' Paradise to the customers and the whole world. The newspapers took the matter up, Bourdoncle himself, frightened by these innovations, was obliged to bow before this immense advertisement. Afterwards, a recreation room for the men was established, with two billiard tables and backgammon and chess boards. Then classes were held in the house of an evening; there were lessons in English and German, in grammar, arithmetic, and geography; they even had lessons in riding and fencing. A library was formed, ten thousand volumes were placed at the disposal of the employees. And a resident doctor giving consultations278 gratis279 was also added, together with baths, and hair-dressing and refreshment saloons. Every want in life was provided for, everything was to be obtained without going outside—board, lodging280, and clothing. The Ladies' Paradise sufficed entirely for all its own wants and pleasures, in the very heart of Paris, taken up by all this clatter281, by this working city which was springing up so vigorously out of the ruins of the old streets, at last opened to the rays of the sun.
Then a fresh movement of opinion took place in Denise's favour. As Bourdoncle, vanquished, repeated with despair to his friends that he would give a great deal to put Denise into Mouret's arms himself, it was concluded that she had not yielded, that her all-powerfulness resulted from her refusal. From that moment she became immensely popular. They knew for what indulgences they were indebted to her, and they admired her for the force of her will. There was one, at least, who could master the governor, who avenged282 all the others, and knew how to get something else besides promises out of him! So she had come at last, she who was to make him treat the poor devils with a little respect! When she went through the shop, with her delicate, self-willed head, her tender, invincible air, the salesmen smiled at her, were proud of her, and would willingly have exhibited her to the crowd. Denise, in her happiness, allowed herself to be carried along by this increasing sympathy. Was it all possible? She saw herself arrive in a poor dress, frightened, lost amidst the mechanism of the terrible machine; for a long time she had had the sensation of being nothing, hardly a grain of seed beneath these millstones which were crushing a whole world; and now to-day she was the very soul of this world, she alone was of consequence, able at a word to increase or slacken the pace of the colossus lying at her feet. And yet she had not wished for these things, she had simply presented herself, without calculation, with the sole charm of her sweetness. Her sovereignty sometimes caused her an uneasy surprise; why did they all obey her? she was not pretty, she did nothing wrong. Then she smiled, her heart at rest, feeling within herself nothing but goodness and prudence, a love of truth and logic283 which constituted all her strength.
One of Denise's greatest joys was to be able to assist Pauline. The latter, being about to become a mother, was trembling, aware that two other saleswomen in the same condition had been sent away. The principals did not tolerate these accidents, maternity284 being suppressed as cumbersome285 and indecent; they occasionally allowed marriage, but would admit of no children. Pauline had, it was true, her husband in the house; but still she felt anxious, it being almost impossible for her to appear at the counter; and in order to postpone286 a probable dismissal, she laced herself very tightly, resolved to conceal her state as long as she could. One of the two saleswomen who had been dismissed, had just been delivered of a still-born child, through having laced herself up in this way; and it was not certain that she herself would recover. Meanwhile, Bourdoncle had observed that Pauline's complexion287 was getting very livid, and that she had a painfully stiff way of walking. One morning he was standing near her, in the under-linen department, when a messenger, taking away a bundle, ran up against her with such force that she cried out with pain. Bourdoncle immediately took her on one side, made her confess, and submitted the question of her dismissal to the board, under the pretext that she stood in need of country air: the story of this accident would spread, and would have a disastrous288 effect on the public if she should have a miscarriage289, as had already taken place in the baby linen department the year before. Mouret, who was not at the meeting, could only give his opinion in the evening. But Denise having had time to interfere290, he closed Bourdoncle's mouth, in the interest of the house itself. Did they wish to frighten the heads of families and the young mothers amongst their customers? And it was decided291, with great pomp, that every married saleswoman should, when in the family way, be sent to a special midwife's as soon as her presence at the counter became offensive to the customers.
The next day when Denise went up into the infirmary to see Pauline, who had been obliged to take to her bed on account of the blow she had received, the latter kissed her violently on both cheeks. “How kind you are! Had it not been for you I should have been turned away. Pray don't be anxious about me, the doctor says it's nothing.”
Baugé, who had slipped away from his department, was also there, on the other side of the bed. He likewise stammered his thanks, troubled before Denise, whom he now treated as an important person, of a superior class. Ah! if he heard any more nasty remarks about her, he would soon close the mouths of the jealous ones! But Pauline sent him away with a good-natured shrug20 of the shoulders.
“My poor darling, you're always saying something stupid. Leave us to talk together.”
The infirmary was a long, light room, containing twelve beds, with their white curtains. Those who did not wish to go home to their families were nursed here. But on the day in question, Pauline was the only occupant, in a bed near one of the large windows which looked on to the Rue Neuve-Saint-Augustin. And they immediately commenced to exchange whispered words, tender confidences, in the calm air, perfumed with a vague odour of lavender.
“So he does just what you wish him to? How cruel you are, to make him suffer so! Come, just explain it to me, now I've ventured to approach the subject. Do you detest35 him?” Pauline had retained hold of Denise's hand, as the latter sat near the bed, with her elbow on the bolster292; and overcome by a sudden emotion, her cheeks invaded with colour, she had a moment of weakness at this direct and unexpected question. Her secret escaped her, she buried her head in the pillow, murmuring:
“I love him!”
Pauline was astonished. “What! you love him? But it's very simple: say yes.”
Denise, her face still concealed293, replied “No!” by an energetic shake of the head. And she did so, simply because she loved him, without being able to explain the matter. No doubt it was ridiculous; but she felt like that, she could not change her nature. Her friend's surprise increased, and she at length asked: “So it's all to make him marry you?”
At this the young girl sprung up, quite confused: “Marry me! Oh! no! Oh! I assure you that I have never wished for anything of the kind! No, never has such an idea entered my head; and you know what a horror I have of all falsehood!”
“Well, dear,” resumed Pauline, kindly, “you couldn't have acted otherwise, if such had been your intention. All this must come to an end, and it is very certain that it can only finish by a marriage, as you won't let it be otherwise. I must tell you that every one has the same idea; yes, they feel persuaded that you are riding the high horse, in order to make him take you to church. Dear me! what a funny girl you are!”
And she had to console Denise, who had again dropped her head on to the bolster, sobbing294, declaring that she would certainly go away, since they attributed all sorts of things to her that had never crossed her mind. No doubt, when a man loved a woman he ought to marry her. But she asked for nothing, she had made no calculations, she simply begged to be allowed to live quietly, with her joys and her sorrows, like other people. She would go away.
At the same moment Mouret was going through the premises below. He had wanted to forget his thoughts by visiting the works once more. Several months had elapsed, the façade now reared its monumental lines behind the vast hoardings which concealed it from the public. Quite an army of decorators were at work: marble-cutters, mosaic-workers, and others. The central group above the door was being gilded295; whilst on the acroteria were being fixed the pedestals destined to receive the statues of the manufacturing cities of France. From morning to night, in the Rue du Dix-Décembre, lately opened to the public, a crowd of idlers stood gaping296 about, their noses in the air, seeing nothing, but pre-occupied by the marvels297 that were related of this façade, the inauguration298 of which was going to revolutionise Paris. And it was on this feverish working-ground, amidst the artists putting the finishing touches to the realisation of his dream commenced by the masons, that Mouret felt more bitterly than ever the vanity of his fortune. The thought of Denise had suddenly arrested him, this thought which incessantly pierced him with a flame, like the shooting of an incurable299 pain. He had run away, unable to find a word of satisfaction, fearful lest he should show his tears, leaving behind him the disgust of his triumph. This façade, which was at last erected300, seemed little in his eyes, very much like one of those walls of sand that children build, and it might have been extended from one end of the city to the other, elevated to the starry301 sky, yet it would not have filled the emptiness of his heart, that the “yes” of a mere72 child could alone fill.
When Mouret entered his office he was almost choking with sobs302. What did she want? He dared not offer her money now; and the confused idea of a marriage presented itself amidst his young widower's revolts. And, in the debility of his powerlessness, his tears began to flow. He was very miserable.
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1
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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gratuities
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| n.报酬( gratuity的名词复数 )；小账；小费；养老金 | |
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champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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5
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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6
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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7
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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agitate
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| vi.(for,against)煽动，鼓动；vt.搅动 | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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10
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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12
respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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13
distraction
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| n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐 | |
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14
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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15
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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16
devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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17
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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18
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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19
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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20
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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21
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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24
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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25
scenting
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| vt.闻到（scent的现在分词形式） | |
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26
delinquent
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| adj.犯法的，有过失的；n.违法者 | |
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27
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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28
amicable
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| adj.和平的，友好的；友善的 | |
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29
allusions
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| 暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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30
second-hand
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| adj.用过的，旧的，二手的 | |
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amicably
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| adv.友善地 | |
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32
amiability
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| n.和蔼可亲的，亲切的，友善的 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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34
antipathy
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| n.憎恶；反感，引起反感的人或事物 | |
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35
detest
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| vt.痛恨，憎恶 | |
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36
detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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38
succumb
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| v.屈服，屈从；死 | |
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39
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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40
dispelled
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| v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
miseries
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| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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42
intoxicating
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| a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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43
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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44
redoubtable
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| adj.可敬的；可怕的 | |
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45
disinterestedness
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46
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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47
goaded
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| v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 )；激励；（用尖棒）驱赶；驱使（或怂恿、刺激）某人 | |
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48
rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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49
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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50
jade
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| n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠 | |
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51
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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52
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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53
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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54
enigma
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| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
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55
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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56
novice
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| adj.新手的，生手的 | |
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57
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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58
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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59
itching
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| adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 ) | |
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60
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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61
ravaged
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| 毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫 | |
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62
ravage
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| vt.使...荒废，破坏...；n.破坏，掠夺，荒废 | |
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63
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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64
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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65
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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66
disdained
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| 鄙视( disdain的过去式和过去分词 )； 不屑于做，不愿意做 | |
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67
overthrow
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| v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆 | |
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68
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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69
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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70
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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71
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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72
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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73
repulse
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| n.击退，拒绝；vt.逐退，击退，拒绝 | |
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74
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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75
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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76
chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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77
extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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78
idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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79
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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80
idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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81
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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82
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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83
exhaled
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| v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气 | |
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84
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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85
subtlety
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| n.微妙，敏锐，精巧；微妙之处，细微的区别 | |
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86
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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87
deigned
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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88
vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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89
varnish
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| n.清漆；v.上清漆；粉饰 | |
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90
elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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91
obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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92
entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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93
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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94
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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96
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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obsession
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| n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感) | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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100
twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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101
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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102
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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103
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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104
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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105
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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106
nausea
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| n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶) | |
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107
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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108
waggons
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| 四轮的运货马车( waggon的名词复数 )； 铁路货车； 小手推车 | |
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109
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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110
bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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111
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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112
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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113
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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114
unpacking
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| n.取出货物，拆包[箱]v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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115
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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116
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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117
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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118
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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119
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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120
subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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121
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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122
compartments
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| n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层 | |
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123
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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124
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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125
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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126
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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127
agitating
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| 搅动( agitate的现在分词 )； 激怒； 使焦虑不安； （尤指为法律、社会状况的改变而）激烈争论 | |
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128
exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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129
regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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130
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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131
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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132
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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133
mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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134
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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135
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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136
maniacal
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| adj.发疯的 | |
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137
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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138
inspectors
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| n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官 | |
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139
advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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140
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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141
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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142
warehouse
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| n.仓库；vt.存入仓库 | |
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143
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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144
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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145
conveyances
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| n.传送( conveyance的名词复数 )；运送；表达；运输工具 | |
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146
scouring
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| 擦[洗]净，冲刷，洗涤 | |
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147
promenading
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| v.兜风( promenade的现在分词 ) | |
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148
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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149
trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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150
varnished
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| 浸渍过的，涂漆的 | |
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151
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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152
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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153
solacing
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| v.安慰，慰藉( solace的现在分词 ) | |
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154
inspections
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| n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅 | |
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155
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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156
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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157
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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158
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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159
thighs
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| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
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160
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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161
sleight
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| n.技巧，花招 | |
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162
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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163
bazaar
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| n.集市，商店集中区 | |
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164
bazaars
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| （东方国家的）市场( bazaar的名词复数 )； 义卖； 义卖市场； （出售花哨商品等的）小商品市场 | |
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165
pillaged
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| v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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166
pillage
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| v.抢劫；掠夺；n.抢劫，掠夺；掠夺物 | |
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167
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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168
murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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169
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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170
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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171
evergreen
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| n.常青树；adj.四季常青的 | |
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172
pilfering
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| v.偷窃（小东西），小偷( pilfer的现在分词 )；偷窃（一般指小偷小摸） | |
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173
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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174
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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175
affront
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| n./v.侮辱，触怒 | |
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176
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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177
offenders
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| n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物） | |
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178
dishonoured
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| a.不光彩的，不名誉的 | |
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179
venting
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| 消除； 泄去； 排去； 通风 | |
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180
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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181
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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182
solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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183
insinuating
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| adj.曲意巴结的，暗示的v.暗示( insinuate的现在分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入 | |
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184
questionable
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| adj.可疑的，有问题的 | |
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185
confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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186
accusations
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| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
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187
trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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188
unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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189
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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190
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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191
zinc
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| n.锌；vt.在...上镀锌 | |
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192
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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193
stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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194
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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195
alterations
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| n.改动( alteration的名词复数 )；更改；变化；改变 | |
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196
pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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197
cistern
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| n.贮水池 | |
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198
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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199
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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200
vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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201
glazed
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| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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202
azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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203
browsing
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| v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息 | |
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204
clog
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| vt.塞满，阻塞；n.[常pl.]木屐 | |
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205
mirage
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| n.海市蜃楼，幻景 | |
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206
luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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207
trepidation
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| n.惊恐，惶恐 | |
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208
trampling
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| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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209
bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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210
resounding
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| adj. 响亮的 | |
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211
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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212
caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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213
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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214
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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215
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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216
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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217
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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218
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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219
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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220
attenuated
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| v.（使）变细( attenuate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）变薄；（使）变小；减弱 | |
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221
torments
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| （肉体或精神上的）折磨，痛苦( torment的名词复数 )； 造成痛苦的事物[人] | |
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222
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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223
sonorous
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| adj.响亮的，回响的；adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；n.感人，堂皇 | |
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224
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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225
mosaics
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| n.马赛克( mosaic的名词复数 )；镶嵌；镶嵌工艺；镶嵌图案 | |
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226
friezes
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| n.（柱顶过梁和挑檐间的）雕带，（墙顶的）饰带( frieze的名词复数 ) | |
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227
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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228
crumbled
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| （把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏 | |
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229
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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230
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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231
luxuriously
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| adv.奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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232
infraction
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| n.违反；违法 | |
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233
degenerated
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| 衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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234
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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235
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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236
suffocating
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| a.使人窒息的 | |
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237
obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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238
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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239
tormenting
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| 使痛苦的，使苦恼的 | |
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240
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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241
avenging
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| adj.报仇的，复仇的v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的现在分词 )；为…报复 | |
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242
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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243
peccadillo
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| n.轻罪，小过失 | |
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244
imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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245
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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246
constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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247
repugnance
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| n.嫌恶 | |
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248
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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249
seduced
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| 诱奸( seduce的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾引； 诱使堕落； 使入迷 | |
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250
bestowal
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| 赠与，给与； 贮存 | |
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251
equilibrium
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| n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静 | |
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252
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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253
babbled
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| v.喋喋不休( babble的过去式和过去分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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254
ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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255
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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256
debut
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| n.首次演出，初次露面 | |
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257
droll
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| adj.古怪的，好笑的 | |
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258
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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259
encumbered
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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260
unpacked
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| v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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261
mantles
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| vt.&vi.覆盖（mantle的第三人称单数形式） | |
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262
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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263
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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264
appease
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| v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足 | |
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265
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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266
precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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267
iniquitous
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| adj.不公正的；邪恶的；高得出奇的 | |
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268
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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269
persecution
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| n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
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270
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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271
provincial
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| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
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272
humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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273
sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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274
underlying
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| adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的 | |
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275
consolidate
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| v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并 | |
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276
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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277
embryo
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| n.胚胎，萌芽的事物 | |
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278
consultations
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| n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找 | |
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279
gratis
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| adj.免费的 | |
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280
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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281
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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282
avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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283
logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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284
maternity
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| n.母性，母道，妇产科病房；adj.孕妇的，母性的 | |
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285
cumbersome
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| adj.笨重的，不便携带的 | |
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286
postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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287
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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288
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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289
miscarriage
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| n.失败，未达到预期的结果；流产 | |
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290
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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291
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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292
bolster
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| n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励 | |
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293
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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294
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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295
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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296
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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297
marvels
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| n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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298
inauguration
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| n.开幕、就职典礼 | |
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299
incurable
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| adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人 | |
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300
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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301
starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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302
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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