The necklace Feige de Maupassant she was
one of those pretty and charming girls
born as if by an accident of fate into a
family of clerks with no dowry no
prospects no way of any kind of being
met understood loved and married by a
man both prosperous and famous she was
finally married to a minor clerk in the
ministry of education
she just plainly because she could not
afford fine clothes but was as unhappy
as a woman who has come down in the
world for women have no family rank or
social class with them beauty grace and
charm take the place of birth and
breeding their natural poise their
instinctive good taste in their mental
cleverness are the sole guiding
principles which make daughters of the
common people the equals of ladies in
high society she grieved incessantly
feeling that she had been born for all
the little niceties and luxuries of
living she grieved over the shabby nosov
her apartment the din genus of the walls
the worn-out appearance of the chairs
the ugliness of the draperies all these
things which another woman of her class
would not have even noticed not at her
and made her furious the sight of the
little bread and girl who did her humble
housework roused in her disconsolate
regrets and wild daydreams she would
dream of silent chambers draped with
oriental tapestries and lighted by tall
bronze full floor lamps and of two
handsome Butler's and knee breeches who
drowsy from the heavy warmth cast by the
central stove dozed in large overstuffed
armchairs she would dream of great
reception halls hung with old silks of
fine furniture filled with priceless
curios and small stylish scented sitting
rooms just right for the four o'clock
chat with intimate friends with
distinguished and sought-after men whose
attention every women envies and longs
to attract when dining at the round
table covered for the third day with the
same cloth opposite her husband who
would raise the cover of the soup tureen
declaring delightedly
a good stew there's nothing I like
better she would dream of fashionable
dinner parties of gleaming silverware of
tapestries making the walls alive with
characters out of history and strange
birds in Fairyland forests she would
dream of delicious dishes served on
wonderful China of gallant compliments
whispered and listened to with a
sphinx-like smile as one eats the rosy
flesh of a trout or nibbles at the wings
of a grouse she had no evening clothes
no jewels nothing but those were the
things she wanted she felt that was the
kind of life for her she's so much long
- please be envied be fascinating and
sought-after she had a well-to-do friend
a classmate of convent school days whom
she would no longer go to see simply
because she would feel so distressed on
returning home and she would weep for
days on end from vexation regret despair
and English then one evening her husband
came home proudly holding out a large
envelope look he said I've got something
for you
she excitedly tore open the envelope and
pulled out a printed card bearing these
words the Minister of Education and
madam George's Rompin Oh beg Mansour and
Madame Loisel to do them the honor of
attending an evening reception at the
ministerial mansion on Friday January
18th
instead of being delighted as her
husband had hoped she scornfully tossed
the invitation on the table murmuring
what good is that to me but my dear I
thought you'd be thrilled to death you
never get a chance to go out and this is
a real affair a wonderful one I had an
awful time getting a card everybody
wants one it's much sought after and not
many clerks have a chance at one you'll
see all the most important people there
she gave him an irritated glance and
burst out impatiently what do you think
I have to go in he hadn't given that a
thought he stammered what why the dress
you wear when we go to the theater that
looks quite nice I think he stopped
talking dazed and distracted to see his
wife burst out weeping two large tears
slowly rolled from
corners of her eyes to the corners of
her mouth he gasped why what's the
matter
what's the trouble by sheer power of
will she overcame her outburst and
answered in a calm voice while wiping
the tears from her wet cheeks oh nothing
only I don't have an evening dress and
therefore I can't go to that affair give
the card to some friend at the office
whose wife can dress better than I can
he was stunned he resumed
let's see Mathilde how much would a
suitable outfit cost one you could wear
for other Affairs too something very
simple she thought it over for several
seconds going over her allowance and
thinking also of the amount she could
ask for without bringing an immediate
refusal and an exclamation of dismay
from the thrifty Clerk finally she
answered hesitatingly I'm not sure
exactly but I think with 400 francs I
could manage it he turned a bit pale for
he had set aside just that amount to buy
a rifle so that the following summer he
could join some friends who were getting
up a group to shoot larks on the plain
near and to however he said alright I'll
give you 400 francs but try to get a
nice dress as the day of the party
approached Madame Loisel seemed sad
Moody and elytis her outfit was ready
however her husband said to her one
evening what's the matter
you've been all out of sorts for three
days and she answered it's embarrassing
not to have a jewel or gem nothing to
wear on my dress it'll look like a
popper I'd almost rather not go to that
party he answered why not wear some
flowers they're very fashionable this
season for 10 francs you can get two or
three gorgeous roses she wasn't at all
convinced no there's nothing more
humiliating than to look poor among a
lot of rich women but her husband
exclaimed my but you're silly go see
your friend Madame for SDA and ask her
to lend you some jewellery you and she
know each other well enough for you to
do that
she gave a cry of joy why that's so I
hadn't thought of it the next day she
paid her friend a visit and told her of
her predicament but fr sta went to
toward a large closet with mirrored
doors took out a large jewel box brought
it over open it
and said to Madame Loisel pick something
out my dear at first her eyes noted some
bracelets then a pearl necklace then a
Venetian cross gold and gems of
marvellous workmanship she tried on
these adornments in front of the mirror
but hesitated unable to decide which to
part with and put back she kept on
asking haven't she something else oh yes
keep on looking I don't know just what
you'd like all at once she found in a
black satin box a superb diamond
necklace and her pulse beat faster with
longing her hands trembled as she took
it up clasping it around her throat
outside her high neck dressed she stood
in ecstasy looking at her reflection
then she asked hesitatingly pleading
could I borrow that just that and
nothing else why of course
she threw her arms around her friend
kissed her warmly and fled with her
treasure the day of the party arrived
Madame Loisel was a sensation she was
the prettiest one there fashionable
gracious smiling and wild with joy all
the men turned to look at her asked who
she was begged to be introduced all the
cabinet officials wanted to waltz with
her the minister took notice of her she
danced madly wildly drunk with pleasure
giving no thought to anything in the
triumph of her beauty the pride of her
success and a kind of happy cloud
composed of all the adulation of all the
admiring glances of all the awakened
longings of a sense of complete victory
that is so sweet to a woman's heart she
left around four o'clock in the morning
her husband since midnight had been
dozing in a small empty sitting room
with three other gentlemen whose wives
were having too good a time
he threw over her shoulders the raps he
had brought for going home modest
garments of everyday life whose shabby
nish clashed with the stylishness of her
evening clothes she felt this and long
to escape unseen by the other women who
were draped in expensive furs low sell
hold held her back
hold on you'll catch a cold outside I'll
call a cab but she wouldn't listen to
him and went rapidly down the stairs
when they were on the street they didn't
find a carriage and they set out to hunt
for one hailing drivers whom they saw
going by at a distance they walked
toward the scene disconsolate and
shivering finally on the docks they
found one of those carriages that one
sees in Paris only after nightfall as if
they were ashamed to show their drabness
during daylight hours it dropped them at
their door in the Rouge des martyrs and
they climbed wearily up to their
apartment for her it was all over for
him there was the thought that he could
would have to be at the ministry at ten
o'clock before the mirror she let the
Raps fall from her shoulders to see
herself once again and all her glory
suddenly she gave a cry the necklace was
gone her husband already half undressed
said what's the trouble she turned
towards him despairingly I I don't have
Madame Forestier necklace what you can't
mean it it's impossible they hunted
everywhere through the folds of the
dress through the folds of the coat in
the pockets they found nothing
he asked are you sure he had it when
leaving the dance yes I felt it when I
was in the hall of the ministry but if
you had lost it on the street we'd have
heard it drop it must be in the cab yes
quite likely did you get its number no
didn't you notice it either no they
looked at each other a ghast finally a
cell got dressed again I'll retrace our
steps on foot he said to see if I can
find it and he went out she remained in
her evening clothes without the strength
to go to bed slumped in a chair in the
unheated room her
find a blank her husband came in about
seven o'clock he had no luck he went to
the police station to the newspapers to
post a reward to the cab companies
everywhere the slightest hope drove him
that evening LaSalle returned pale his
face lined still he had had learned
nothing
we'll have to write your friend he said
to tell her you have broken the catch
and are having it repaired that will
give us a little time to turn around
she wrote to his diction at the end of
the week they had given up all hope and
lies l-looking five years older declared
we must take steps to replace that piece
of jewelry the next day they took the
case to the jeweler whose name they
found inside he consulted his records I
didn't sell that necklace madam he said
I only supplied the case they went from
one jeweler to another hunting for a
similar necklace going over their
recollections both sick with despair and
anxiety they found in a shop in police
Royale a string of diamonds which seemed
exactly like the one they were seeking
it was priced at 40,000 francs they
could get it for 36 they asked the
jeweler to hold it for them for three
days and they reached an agreement that
he would take it back for 34 thousand if
the lost one was found before the end of
February Rahzel had 18 thousand francs
he had inherited from his father he
would borrow the rest he went about
raising the money asking a thousand
francs from one 400 from another a
hundred here 60 there he signed notes
made ruinous deals did business with
loan sharks ran the whole gamut of
moneylenders he compromised the rest of
his life risked his signature without
knowing if he'd be able to honor it and
then terrified by the outlook for the
future by the blackness of despair about
to close around him by the prospect of
all the privations of body and tortures
of the Spirit he went to claim the new
necklace
with the 36,000 francs which he placed
on the counter of the shopkeeper when
Mademoiselle took the necklace back
Madame Forestier said to her frostily
you should have brought it back sooner I
might have needed it she didn't open the
case and action her friend was afraid of
if she had noticed the substitution what
would she have thought what would she
have said but would she have thought her
a thief let em alors I'll experienced
the horrible life the needy live she
played her part however with sudden
heroism that frightful debt had to be
paid she would pay she dismissed her
maid they rented a garret under the
eaves she learned to do the heavy
housework to perform the hateful duties
of cooking she washed dishes wearing
down her shell pink nails scouring the
grease from pots and pans she scrubbed
dirty linen shirts and cleaning rags
which she hung on a line to dry she took
the garbage down to the street each
morning and brought up water stopping on
each landing to get her breath and clad
like a peasant woman basket on arm
gardening sue bye sue her scanty
allowance she bargained with the fruit
dealers the grocer the butcher and was
insulted by them each month notes had to
be paid and others renewed to give more
time her husband labored evenings to
balance a tradesmen account and at night
often he copied documents at five sous a
page and this went on for ten years
finally all was paid back everything
including the exorbitant rates of the
loan sharks and accumulated compound
interest Madame Loisel appeared an old
woman now she became heavy rough harsh
like one of the poor her hair untended
her skirts askew her hands red her voice
shrill she even swapped water on her
floors and scrubbed them herself
but sometimes while her husband was at
work she would sit near the window and
think of that long ago evening 'ln at
the dance she had been so beautiful and
admired what would have happened if she
had not lost that necklace
who knows who can say how strange and
unpredictable life is how little there
is between happiness
and misery then one Sunday when she had
gone for a walk on the champs-elysées to
relax a bit from the week's Labor's she
suddenly noticed a woman strolling with
the child it was Madame Forestier
still looking young still beautiful
still charming but Emily's l felt a rush
of emotions should she speak to her of
course and now that everything was paid
off she would tell her the whole story
why not she went toward her hello Jean
the other not recognizing her showed
astonishment at being spoken to so
familiarly by this common person she
stammered but Madame I don't recognize
you must be mistaken
no I'm Mathilde Loiselle her friend gave
a cry
oh my poor Mathilde how you've changed
yes I've had a hard time since last
seeing you and plenty of misfortunes and
all on account of you of me how do you
mean do you remember that diamond
necklace you loan me to wear to the
dance at the ministry yes but what about
it well I lost it you lost it but you
returned it I bought you another just
like it and we've been paying for it for
10 years now
you can imagine that wasn't easy for us
who had nothing well it's over now and
I'm glad of it but am Foresti a stopped
short you mean to say you bought a
diamond necklace to replace mine yes you
never noticed then they were quite alike
and she smiled with proud and simple joy
but an foresee a quite overcome clasped
her by the hands
oh my poor Mathilde but mine was only
paste why at most it was worth only 500 francs you