登陆注册
5251700000092

第92章 A COUNTRY EXCURSION(1)

For five months they had been talking of going to lunch at some country restaurant in the neighborhood of Paris, on Madame Dufour's birthday, and as they were looking forward very impatiently to the outing, they had risen very early that morning. Monsieur Dufour had borrowed the milkman's tilted cart, and drove himself. It was a very neat, two wheeled conveyance, with a hood, and in it Madame Dufour, resplendent in a wonderful, sherry-colored silk dress, sat by the side of her husband.

The old grandmother and the daughter were accommodated with two chairs, and a yellow-haired youth, of whom, however, nothing was to be seen except his head, lay at the bottom of the trap.

When they got to the bridge of Neuilly, Monsieur Dufour said:

"Here we are in the country at last!" At that warning, his wife grew sentimental about the beauties of nature. When they got to the crossroads at Courbevoie, they were seized with admiration for the tremendous view down there: on the right was the spire of Argenteuil church, above it rose the hills of Sannois and the mill of Orgemont, while on the left, the aqueduct of Marly stood out against the clear morning sky. In the distance they could see the terrace of Saint-Germain, and opposite to them, at the end of a low chain of hills, the new fort of Cormeilles. Afar--a very long way off, beyond the plains and villages--one could see the somber green of the forests.

The sun was beginning to shine in their faces, the dust got into their eyes, and on either side of the road there stretched an interminable tract of bare, ugly country, which smelled unpleasantly. You would have thought that it had been ravaged by a pestilence which had even attacked the buildings, for skeletons of dilapidated and deserted houses; or small cottages left in an unfinished state, as if the contractors had not been paid, reared their four roofless walls on each side.

Here and there tall factory-chimneys rose up from the barren soil, the only vegetation on that putrid land, where the spring breezes wafted an odor of petroleum and soot, mingled with another smell that was even still less agreeable. At last, however, they crossed the Seine a second time. It was delightful on the bridge; the river sparkled in the sun, and they had a feeling of quiet satisfaction and enjoyment in drinking in purer air, not impregnated by the black smoke of factories, nor by the miasma from the deposits of night-soil. A man whom they met told them that the name of the place was Bezons; so Monsieur Dufour pulled up, and read the attractive announcement outside an eating-house:

"Restaurant Poulin, stews and fried fish, private rooms, arbors, and swings.""Well! Madame Dufour, will this suit you? Will you make up your mind at last?"She read the announcement in her turn, and then looked at the house for a time.

It was a white country inn, built by the road-side, and through the open door she could see the bright zinc of the counter, at which two workmen out for the day were sitting. At last she made up her mind, and said:

"Yes, this will do; and, besides, there is a view."So they drove into a large yard studded with trees, behind the inn, which was only separated from the river by the towing-path, and got out. The husband sprang out first, and held out his arms for his wife. As the step was very high, Madame Dufour, in order to reach him, had to show the lower part of her limbs, whose former slenderness had disappeared in fat. Monsieur Dufour, who was already getting excited by the country air, pinched her calf, and then, taking her in his arms, set her on to the ground, as if she had been some enormous bundle. She shook the dust out of the silk dress, and then looked round, to see in what sort of a place she was.

She was a stout woman, of about thirty-six, full-blown and delightful to look at. She could hardly breathe, as she was laced too tightly, which forced the heaving mass of her superabundant bosom up to her double chin. Next, the girl put her hand on to her father's shoulder, and jumped lightly down. The youth with the yellow hair had got down by stepping on the wheel, and he helped Monsieur Dufour to get the grandmother out. Then they unharnessed the horse, which they tied up to a tree, and the carriage fell back, with both shafts in the air. The man and boy took off their coats, washed their hands in a pail of water, and then joined the ladies, who had already taken possession of the swings.

Mademoiselle Dufour was trying to swing herself standing up, but she could not succeed in getting a start. She was a pretty girl of about eighteen; one of those women who suddenly excite your desire when you meet them in the street, and who leave you with a vague feeling of uneasiness and of excited senses. She was tall, had a small waist and large hips, with a dark skin, very large eyes, and very black hair. Her dress clearly marked the outlines of her firm, full figure, which was accentuated by the motion of her hips as she tried to swing herself higher. Her arms were stretched over her head to hold the rope, so that her bosom rose at every movement she made. Her hat, which a gust of wind had blown off, was hanging behind her, and as the swing gradually rose higher and higher, she showed her delicate limbs up to the knees each time, and the wind from the perfumed petticoats, more heady than the fumes of wine, blew into the faces of her father and friend, who were looking at her in admiration.

Sitting in the other swing, Madame Dufour kept saying in a monotonous voice:

同类推荐
  • 菩提心义

    菩提心义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说阿阇贳王女阿术达菩萨经

    佛说阿阇贳王女阿术达菩萨经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 书院学规

    书院学规

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 清净观世音普贤陀罗尼经

    清净观世音普贤陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 杜工部诗年谱

    杜工部诗年谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 逃路拐妻进行时:超级吃货

    逃路拐妻进行时:超级吃货

    她是表面高冷内心逗比的吃货神子,他是身份另有乾坤的智障大少爷。然,本应毫无关系的两人,因为一不小心,被死死拴在一起。初遇,“墨璃潇!隔壁小胖欺负我!你帮我揍回去好不好?”“不好。”“秋老爷子的叫花鸡你吃不吃?”“好。”第二天,隔壁小胖变成了一坨不明物体,只有一口气吊着。熟识,“璃潇!我同学家出现了一只妖怪!弄死它好不好?”“……不好。”“庄大小姐的甜品翻新了,你吃不?”“好。”第二天,某妖怪死的不能再死,化灰飞了。解除血契后,“潇潇!嫁给我好不好?”“……好。”“你要吃什么我就……诶,你说啥?”“好!”鼓掌撒花祝贺白大少勾搭墨神子成功!
  • 第六只蛊虫

    第六只蛊虫

    传说人间与地狱之间有一扇门,当最后一只蛊虫重见天日,这扇门将被打开……我发誓自己真的只是想好好度过最美妙的大学时光,但是自从那一觉醒来……这是一个很真实的故事,因为每一个听到它的人都会用事实去打破所有的谎言……所以……生人勿进……小心你身后……
  • 农家悍女之空间有田

    农家悍女之空间有田

    末世女乔欣带着空间穿越到古代一户普通农家,却又很不普通,各种宫心斗,各种老谋深算,各种泼妇骂街,可怜善良的娘亲和兄弟姐妹们,被他们各种压榨,各种欺负,幸好她穿过来了,看她如何斗极品,治泼妇,“敢欺负她的人门都没有!”《本文有强大的金手指》
  • 我嫁了豪门老公

    我嫁了豪门老公

    新书《婚权独有:傲娇老公甜蜜宠》“不认识我?”他挑眉看着她,轻笑道:真够狠心的,那我们翻翻媒体给你的记忆,X年X月,邵氏总裁为讨新欢高兴,斥资百万,X年X月,赠百万豪车……她因母亲生病而与他签下协议,说好的时间期限,他却翻脸不认人,将她留在身边,断她的财路。她逃,他步步紧逼,她无路可退,嫁入豪门?她才不稀罕!
  • 新婚总裁很勇猛

    新婚总裁很勇猛

    一场势在必得的豪夺,成就了一出销魂蚀骨的一夜.情。他的强悍霸道,她的娇媚可人,密不可分的缠绵了整整一夜!被男友以前途为名,送上了他的床。伤心欲绝的她远走他乡,却意外发现自己怀孕了!而孩子的亲生父亲是谁她都不知道。他突然出现,强硬地让她冠上他的姓氏,莫明其妙的当上了名满盛京的慕家少夫人!
  • 只想和你到白昼

    只想和你到白昼

    【悬疑x军文x言情】五年前她是如梦阁最闻名的戏子,却也是逆党的傀儡,而他是人人可以欺负的军二代。可怜的遭遇牵起了这段缘分。五年后,她是一个医生助理被安排在高高在上的他的身边,一起出生入死,五年前她调戏他,五年后他调戏她……
  • 父母一定和孩子做的80件事

    父母一定和孩子做的80件事

    每个孩子都是一个天才,这一点必须明确。为人父母要多给孩子些自信,多些鼓励,少些埋怨;要多些倾听,少些攀比;要多些身教,少些言传;要多些沟通,少些诋毁。每个孩子都是骄傲,没有不合格的孩子,只有不合格的父母。愿天下父母共同努力,满怀爱心、信心、耐心与智慧之心,培养出更多健康、快乐而优秀的孩子吧!
  • 人本管理模式

    人本管理模式

    这里阐述的道理,不是能够用来更加有效地控制人类精神的新型管理游戏,手段或者技巧,而是一套完整的正统的价值体系,它非常确切和科学,比那些宣称非常有效,非常真实的价值观新颖得多,实用得多。它利用了人性中一直被忽略的那些真正具有革命意义的发现成果,进而组成的一种管理价值观。
  • 重生农家子

    重生农家子

    王睿觉醒前世记忆时,正处于人生中的最低谷,彼时父亲失踪,母亲偏心,兄弟姐妹间情分淡薄
  • 蠢萌兽妃养成记

    蠢萌兽妃养成记

    【女主萌萌哒】宠文哦!稳定更新,强势宠宠宠。苦逼大学生意外穿越,成为穆府“三无”产品女扮男装的废材嫡子。醒来时竟在万葬岗,为何身边还有一个妖孽夫君盯着自己,“这位灵友,请问有何贵干!”“自然是要养你成妃。”“滚!”“好的,为夫马上滚过来了!”看穆怀楠拥上古凤凰血脉笑傲江湖,持凤羽镯逆天神器闯大陆。