Excerpt from Athenaise

8/20/2019 Excerpt from Athenaise

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Baczewski/Athénaïse/1

Athénaïse went away in the morning to make a visit to her parents, ten miles backon rigolet de Bon Dieu !he did not return in the evening, and "azeau, her husband,#retted not a little $e did not worry much about Athénaïse, who, he suspected, wasresting only too content in the bosom o# her #amily% his chie# solicitude wasmani#estly #or the pony she had ridden $e #elt sure those &lazy pigs,& her brothers,

were capable o# neglecting it seriously 'his misgiving "azeau communicated to hisservant, old (élicité, who waited upon him at supper

$is voice was low pitched, and even so#ter than (élicité)s $e was tall, sinewy,swarthy, and altogether severe looking $is thick black hair waved, and it gleamedlike the breast o# a crow 'he sweep o# his mustache, which was not so black,outlined the broad contour o# the mouth Beneath the under lip grew a small tu#twhich he was much given to twisting, and which he permitted to grow, apparently#or no other purpose "azeau)s eyes were dark blue, narrow and overshadowed $ishands were coarse and sti* #rom close ac+uaintance with #arming tools andimplements, and he handled his #ork and kni#e clumsily But he was distinguishedlooking, and succeeded in commanding a good deal o# respect, and even #ear sometimes

$e ate his supper alone, by the light o# a single coaloil lamp that but #aintlyilluminated the big room, with its bare -oor and huge ra#ters, and its heavy pieceso# #urniture that loomed dimly in the gloom o# the apartment (élicité, ministering tohis wants, hovered about the table like a little, bent, restless shadow

!he served him with a dish o# sun.sh #ried crisp and brown 'here was nothing elseset be#ore him beside the bread and butter and the bottle o# red wine which shelocked care#ully in the bu*et a#ter he had poured his second glass !he wasoccupied with her mistress)s absence, and kept reverting to it a#ter he had

epressed his solicitude about the pony

&Dat beat me0 on)y marry two mont), an) got de head turn) a)ready to go )broad")est pas "hrétien, ténez0&

"azeau shrugged his shoulders #or answer, a#ter he had drained his glass andpushed aside his plate (élicité)s opinion o# the unchristianlike behavior o# his wi#ein leaving him thus alone a#ter two months o# marriage weighed little with him $ewas used to solitude, and did not mind a day or a night or two o# it $e had livedalone ten years, since his .rst wi#e died, and (élicité might have known better thanto suppose that he cared $e told her she was a #ool t sounded like a complimentin his modulated, caressing voice !he grumbled to hersel# as she set about clearing

the table, and "azeau arose and walked outside on the gallery% his spur, which hehad not removed upon entering the house, 2angled at every step

'he night was beginning to deepen, and to gather black about the clusters o# treesand shrubs that were grouped in the yard n the beam o# light #rom the openkitchen door a black boy stood #eeding a brace o# snarling, hungry dogs% #urtheraway, on the steps o# a cabin, some one was playing the accordion% and in still




another direction a little negro baby was crying lustily "azeau walked around to the#ront o# the house, which was s+uare, s+uat and onestory

A belated wagon was driving in at the gate, and the impatient driver was swearing

hoarsely at his 2aded oen (élicité stepped out on the gallery, glass and polishing

towel in hand, to investigate, and to wonder, too, who could be singing out on theriver t was a party o# young people paddling around,

waiting #or the moon to rise, and they were singing 4uanita, their voices comingtempered and melodious through the distance and the night

"azeau)s horse was waiting, saddled, ready to be mounted, #or "azeau had manythings to attend to be#ore bedtime% so many things that there was not le#t to him amoment in which to think o# Athénaïse $e #elt her absence, though, like a dull,insistent pain

$owever, be#ore he slept that night he was visited by the thought o# her, and by a

vision o# her #air young #ace with its drooping lips and sullen and averted eyes 'hemarriage had been a blunder% he had only to look into her eyes to #eel that, todiscover her growing aversion But it was a thing not by any possibility to beundone $e was +uite prepared to make the best o# it, and epected no less than alike e*ort on her part 'he less she revisited the rigolet, the better $e would .ndmeans to keep her at home herea#ter

'hese unpleasant re-ections kept "azeau awake #ar into the night, notwithstandingthe craving o# his whole body #or rest and sleep 'he moon was shining, and its palee*ulgence reached dimly into the room, and with it a touch o# the cool breath o# thespring night 'here was an unusual stillness abroad% no sound to be heard save thedistant, tireless, plaintive notes o# the accordion

II

Athénaïse did not return the #ollowing day, even though her husband sent her wordto do so by her brother, 5ontéclin, who passed on his way to the village early in themorning

6n the third day "azeau saddled his horse and went himsel# in search o# her !he

had sent no word, no message, eplaining her absence, and he #elt that he hadgood cause to be o*ended t was rather awkward to have to leave his work, eventhough late in the a#ternoon,7"azeau had always so much to do% but among themany urgent calls upon him, the task o# bringing his wi#e back to a sense o# herduty seemed to him #or the moment paramount

'he 5ichés, Athénaïse)s parents, lived on the old 8otrain place t did not belong tothem% they were &running& it #or a merchant in Aleandria 'he house was #ar too




big #or their use 6ne o# the lower rooms served #or the storing o# wood and tools%the person &occupying& the place be#ore 5iché having pulled up the -ooring indespair o# being able to patch it :pstairs, the rooms were so large, so bare, thatthey o*ered a constant temptation to lovers o# the dance, whose importunities5adame 5iché was accustomed to meet with amiable indulgence A dance at5iché)s and a plate o# 5adame 5iché)s gumbo .le at midnight were pleasures not

to be neglected or despised, unless by such serious souls as "azeau

;ong be#ore "azeau reached the house his approach had been observed, #or therewas nothing to obstruct the view o# the outer road% vegetation was not yetabundantly advanced, and there was but a patchy, straggling stand o# cotton andcorn in 5iché)s .eld

5adame 5iché, who had been seated on the gallery in a rockingchair, stood up togreet him as he drew near !he was short and #at, and wore a black skirt and loosemuslin sack #astened at the throat with a hair brooch $er own hair, brown andglossy, showed but a #ew threads o# silver $er round pink #ace was cheery, and hereyes were bright and good humored But she was plainly perturbed and ill at easeas "azeau advanced

5ontéclin, who was there too, was not ill at ease, and made no attempt to disguisethe dislike with which his brotherinlaw inspired him $e was a slim, wiry #ellow o#twenty.ve, short o# stature like his mother, and resembling her in #eature $e wasin shirtsleeves, hal# leaning, hal# sitting, on the insecure railing o# the gallery, and#anning himsel# with his broadrimmed #elt hat

&"ochon0& he muttered under his breath as "azeau mounted the stairs,7&sacré cochon0&

&"ochon& had su<ciently characterized the man who had once on a time declinedto lend 5ontéclin money But when this same man had had the presumption topropose marriage to his wellbeloved sister, Athénaïse, and the honor to beaccepted by her, 5ontéclin #elt that a +uali#ying epithet was needed #ully to epresshis estimate o# "azeau

5iché and his oldest son were absent 'hey both esteemed "azeau highly, andtalked much o# his +ualities o# head and heart, and thought much o# his ecellentstanding with city merchants

Athénaïse had shut hersel# up in her room "azeau had seen her rise and enter thehouse at perceiving him $e was a good deal mysti.ed, but no one could have

guessed it when he shook hands with 5adame 5iché $e had only nodded to5ontéclin, with a muttered &"omment =a va>&

&'iens0 something tole me you were coming today0& eclaimed 5adame 5iché,with a little blustering appearance o# being cordial and at ease, as she o*ered"azeau a chair

$e ventured a short laugh as he seated himsel#



Baczewski/Athénaïse/?

&@ou know, nothing would do,& she went on, with much gesture o# her small, plumphands, &nothing would do but Athénaïse mus) stay las) night #o) a li)le dance 'heboys wouldn) year to their sister leaving&

"azeau shrugged his shoulders signi.cantly, telling as plainly as words that he knewnothing about it

&"omment 5ontéclin didn) tell you we were going to keep Athénaïse>& 5ontéclinhad evidently told nothing

&An) how about the night be#o),& +uestioned "azeau, &an) las) night> t isn)t possibleyou dance every night out yere on the Bon Dieu0&

5adame 5iché laughed, with amiable appreciation o# the sarcasm% and turning toher son, &5ontéclin, my boy, go tell yo) sister that 5onsieur "azeau is yere&

5ontéclin did not stir ecept to shi#t his position and settle himsel# more securely on

the railing

&Did you year me, 5ontéclin>&

&6h yes, yeard you plain enough,& responded her son, &but you know as well as meit)s no use to tell )'hénaïse anything @ou been talkin) to her yo)se)# since 5onday%an) pa)s preached himse)# hoa)se on the sub2ect% an) you even had uncle Achille down yere yesterday to reason with her )en )'hénaïse said she wasn) goin) to sether #oot back in "azeau)s house, she meant it&

'his speech, which 5ontéclin delivered with thorough unconcern, threw his motherinto a condition o# pain#ul but dumb embarrassment t brought two .ery red spots

to "azeau)s cheeks, and #or the space o# a moment he looked wicked

hat 5ontéclin had spoken was +uite true, though his taste in the manner andchoice o# time and place in saying it were not o# the best Athénaïse, upon the .rstday o# her arrival, had announced that she came to stay, having no intention o#returning under "azeau)s roo# 'he announcement had scattered consternation, asshe knew it would !he had been implored, scolded, entreated, stormed at, until she#elt hersel# like a dragging sail that all the winds o# heaven had beaten upon hy inthe name o# 8od had she married "azeau> $er #ather had lashed her with the+uestion a dozen times hy indeed> t was di<cult now #or her to understand why,unless because she supposed it was customary #or girls to marry when the rightopportunity came "azeau, she knew, would make li#e more com#ortable #or her%

and again, she had liked him, and had even been rather -ustered when he pressedher hands and kissed them, and kissed her lips and cheeks and eyes, when sheaccepted him

5ontéclin himsel# had taken her aside to talk the thing over 'he turn o# a*airs wasdelighting him



Baczewski/Athénaïse/

&"ome, now, )'hénaïse, you mus) eplain to me all about it, so we can settle on agood cause, an) secu) a separation #o) you $as he been mistreating an) abusingyou, the sacré cochon>& 'hey were alone together in her room, whither she hadtaken re#uge #rom the angry domestic elements

&@ou please to reserve yo) disgusting epressions, 5ontéclin Co, he has not abused

me in any way that can think&

&Does he drink> "ome )'hénaïse, think well over it Does he ever get drunk>&

&Drunk0 6h, mercy, no,7"azeau never gets drunk&

& see% it)s 2us) simply you #eel like me% you hate him&

&Co, don)t hate him,& she returned re-ectively% adding with a sudden impulse, &t)s 2us) being married that detes) an) despise hate being 5rs "azeau, an) wouldwant to be Athénaïse 5iché again can)t stan) to live with a man% to have him

always there% his coats an) pantaloons hanging in my room% his ugly bare #eet7washing them in my tub, be#o) my very eyes, ugh0& !he shuddered withrecollections, and resumed, with a sigh that was almost a sob &5on Dieu, monDieu0 !ister 5arie Angéli+ue knew w)at she was saying% she knew me better thanmyse)# w)en she said 8od had sent me a vocation an) was turning dea# ears )en think o# a blessed li#e in the convent, at peace0 6h, w)at was dreaming o#0& andthen the tears came

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Excerpt from Athenaise