THE WORKS OF ANATOLE FRANCE
IN AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION
EDITED BY FREDERIC CHAPMAN
THE AMETHYST RING
THE AMETHYST RING
BY ANATOLE FRANCE
A TRANSLATION BY
B. DRILLIEN
LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD
NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY MCMXIX
PRINTED BY WILLIAM BRENDON AND SON, LTD., PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND
THE AMETHYST RING
CHAPTER I
True to her word, Madame Bergeret quitted the conjugal roof and betookherself to the house of her mother, the widow Pouilly.
As the time for her departure drew near, she had half a mind not togo, and with a little coaxing would have consented to forget the pastand resume the old life with her husband, at the same time vaguelydespising M. Bergeret as the injured party.
She was quite ready to forgive and forget, but the unbending esteemin which she was held by the circle in which she moved did not allowof such a course. Madame Dellion had made it clear to her that anysuch weakness on her part would be judged unfavourably; all thedrawing-rooms in the place were unanimous upon that score. There wasbut one opinion among the tradespeople: Madame Bergeret must returnto her mother. In this way did they uphold the proprieties and, atthe same time, rid themselves of a thoughtless, common, compromisingperson, whose vulgarity was apparent even to the vulgar, and who wasa burden on everybody about her. They made her believe there wassomething heroic in her conduct.
“I have the greatest admiration for you, my child,” said old MadameDutilleul from the depths of her easy chair, she who had survived fourhusbands, and was a truly terrible woman. People suspected her ofeverything, except of ever having loved, and in her old age she washonoured and respected by all.
Madame Bergeret was delighted at having inspired sympathy in MadameDellion and admiration in Madame Dutilleul, and still she could notfinally make up her mind to go, for she was of a homely disposition andaccustomed to regular habits and quite content to live on in idlenessand deceit. Having grasped this fact, M. Bergeret redoubled his effortsto ensure his deliverance. He stoutly upheld Marie, the servant, whokept every one in the house in a state of wretchedness and trepidation,was suspected of harbouring thieves and cut-throats in her kitchen, andonly brought herself into prominence by the catastrophes she caused.
Four days before the time appointed for Madame Bergeret’s departure,this girl, who was drunk as usual, upset a lighted lamp in hermistress’s room and set fire to the blue