The dowry

by Guy de Maupassant–edited version

1. The marriage of Maitre Simon Lebrument with Mademoiselle Jeanne Cordier was asurprise to no one. Everyone knew that Maitre Lebrument needed money to buy hisown practice, and the father of MademoiselleJeanne Cordier owned three hundred thousand francs. Maitre Lebrument was a handsome man. Mademoiselle Cordierwas graceful and fresh-looking; onewife to be desired. Everybody admiredthe young couple after their marriage, and they seemed very much in love.

2. When the first week after theirmarriage was over, he said to her:"If you wish, we will leave for Parisnext Tuesday. We will go to the restaurants, the theatres, the concert halls,everywhere, everywhere!" She was ready to dance for joy. "Oh! yes,yes. Let us go as soon as possible." He continued: "As we must forgetnothing, ask your father to have your dowry ready; I shall pay the landlord for my practice on the way." She answered:"All right: I will tell him tomorrow morning."

3. The following Tuesday, father-in-law and mother-in-law went to thestation to say goodbye to their daughter and their son-in-law. Thefather-in-law said:"I tell you it is very imprudent to carry so much money around." And the young lawyersmiled. "Don't worry; I am accustomed to such things. In my profession,I sometimes have as much as a million about me. You needn't worry."

4. The trip to Paris lasted about an hour. As soon as they arrivedin Paris, Maitre Lebrument said to his wife: "Dearie, let us first go over to the Boulevard and get something to eat; then we can quietly return and getour suitcases and bring them to the hotel." She immediately assented. "Oh! yes. Let's eat atthe restaurant. Is it far?" He answered: "Yes, it's quite a distance,but we will take the omnibus." Shewas surprised:"Why don't we take a cab?" He began to scold her smilingly: "Is thatthe way you save money? A cab for a five minutes' ride at six cents a minute!You would deprive yourself ofnothing." "That's so," she said, a little embarrassed.

5. A big omnibus was passing by,drawn by three big horses, which were trotting along. Lebrument called out:"Conductor!Conductor!" The heavy carriage stopped. And the young lawyer, pushing hiswife, said to her quickly: "Go inside; I'm going up on top, so that I maysmoke at least one cigarette beforelunch." She had no time to answer. The conductor, who had seized her bythe arm to help her up the step, pushed her inside, and she fell into a seat, bewildered, looking through the backwindow at the feet of her husband as he climbed up to the top of the vehicle.

6. And she sat there motionless,between a fat man who smelled of cheap tobacco and an old woman who smelled ofgarlic. All the other passengers were lined up in silence--a grocer's boy, ayoung girl, a soldier, and a gentleman with gold-rimmed spectacles and a big silk hat. They looked like a collection of caricatures."Why didn't hecome inside with me?" she was saying to herself. An unaccountable sadness seemed to be hanging over her. "It'sfurther than I imagined," thought Jeanne after 10 minutes. After half anhour, she naturally despaired. "Howfar it is!" thought Jeanne. "I hope he hasn't gone to sleep! He hasbeen so tired the last few days."

7. Little by little all thepassengers left. She was left alone, all alone. The conductor cried: "Vaugirard!"Seeing that she did not move, he repeated:"Vaugirard!" She looked athim, understanding that he was speaking to her, as there was no one else there.For the third time the man said: "Vaugirard!"Then she asked:"Where are we?"

8. He answered gruffly:"We're at Vaugirard, ofcourse! I have been yelling it for the last half hour! “Is it far from theBoulevard?" she said."Which boulevard?" "The Boulevard desItaliens." "We passed that a long time ago!" "Would you mind telling myhusband?" "Your husband! Where is he?" "On the top of the bus." "On the top! There hasn't been anybodythere for a long time." She started,terrified. "What? That's impossible! He got on with me. Look well! He mustbe there. He had a big portfolio under his arm." The man began to laugh:

9. "A big portfolio! Oh, yes!He got off at the Madeleine. He got rid of you, all right! Ha! ha! ha!" Shegot out quickly and began to cry. She cried out loud:"What is going tobecome of me?" Where was she to go? She had two francs in her pocket. Towhom could she go? Suddenly she remembered her cousin lived in Paris. She hadjust enough to pay for a cab. She drove to his house. He met her just as he wasleaving for his office. He was carrying a large portfolio under his arm, onejust like Lebrument had. "Henry!" she cried. He stopped, astonished: "Jeanne! Here--allalone! What are you doing? Where have you come from?"

10. Her eyes full of tears, shetold him her whole adventure. He listened, and then asked:"Did he havemuch money with him?" "Yes, he was carrying my dowry." "Yourdowry! The whole of it?" "The whole of it--in order to pay for thepractice which he wanted so badly. “Well, my dear cousin, by this time your husbandmust be well on his way to Belgium." She could not understand. She stoodthere, a prey to conflicting emotions, sobbing."Then he is--he is--he is a villain!" As people were stopping to lookat them, he pushed her gently into his house and he ordered: "Sophie, runto the restaurant and get a luncheon for two. I am not going to the office today."

New Words

1. Maitre (noun)

2. Mademoiselle (noun)

3. Practice (noun)

4. Francs (noun) (=the placewhere the business of a doctor, lawyer, or other professional person takeplace: a medical/legal/dental/veterinary practice)

5. Graceful (adj.)

6. Dowry (noun)

7. -in-law (suffix)

8. Imprudent (adj.)

9. Am accustomed to (Phrasalverb, from: to be accustomed to something)

10. Profession (noun)

11. About (adv.)

12. Lasted (verb, from: tolast)

13. Dearie (expression)

14. Boulevard (noun)

15. Assented (verb, from: toassent)

16. Omnibus (noun)

17. To scold (verb)

18. Deprive (verb)

19. Trotting (verb, from: to trot)

20. Conductor (noun)

21. Cigarette (noun)

22. Bewildered (adj.)

23. Gold-rimmed (adj.)

24. Spectacles (noun)

25. Collection (noun)

26. Caricatures (noun)

27. Unaccountable (adj.)

28. Despaired (verb, from: todespair)

29. Gruffly (adj.)

30. The top (noun)

31. Started (verb)

32. Portfolio (noun)

33. Astonished (adj.)

34. Sobbing (verb, from: tosob)

35. Luncheon (noun)