5.準備叁加舞會 To Attend A Ball (Part 5)
The day of the ball drew near, and Madame Loisel seemed sad, restless, anxious. Her dress was ready, however. Her husband said to her one evening:
"What is the matter? Come, now, you"ve been looking queer these last three days."
And she replied:
"It worries me that I have no jewels, not a single stone, nothing to put on. I shall look wretched enough. I would almost rather not go to this party."
He answered:
"You might wear natural flowers. They are very fashionable this season. For ten francs you can get two or three magnificent roses."
She was not convinced.
"No; there is nothing more humiliating than to look poor among a lot of rich women."
But her husband cried:
"How stupid you are! Go and find your friend Madame Forestier and ask her to lend you some jewels. You are intimate enough with her for that."
She uttered a cry of joy.
"Of course. I had not thought of that."
The next day she went to her friend's house and told her distress.
Madame Forestier went to her handsome wardrobe, took out a large casket, brought it back, opened it, and said to Madame Loisel:
"Choose, my dear."