he is robbing you of your fish？ Do you think that you will catch
anything？ Not even a frog； nothing whatever。 Why； my hands are
tingling； just to think of it。'
〃But I said to myself： 'Let us wait until twelve o'clock。 Then this
poacher will go to lunch and I shall get my place again。 As for me；
Monsieur le President； I lunch on that spot every Sunday。 We bring our
provisions in Delila。 But there！ At noon the wretch produced a chicken
in a newspaper； and while he was eating； he actually caught another chub！
〃Melie and I had a morsel also； just a bite； a mere nothing； for our
heart was not in it。
〃Then I took up my newspaper to aid my digestion。 Every Sunday I read
the Gil Blas in the shade by the side of the water。 It is Columbine's
day； you know； Columbine； who writes the articles in the Gil Blas。
I generally put Madame Renard into a rage by pretending to know this
Columbine。 It is not true； for I do not know her and have never seen
her； but that does not matter。 She writes very well； and then she says
things that are pretty plain for a woman。 She suits me and there are not
many of her sort。
〃Well； I began to tease my wife； but she got angry immediately； and very
angry； so I held my tongue。 At that moment our two witnesses who are
present here； Monsieur Ladureau and Monsieur Durdent； appeared on the
other side of the river。 We knew each other by sight。 The little man
began to fish again and he caught so many that I trembled with vexation
and his wife said： 'It is an uncommonly good spot； and we will come here
always； Desire。' As for me； a cold shiver ran down my back； and Madame
Renard kept repeating： 'You are not a man； you have the blood of a
chicken in your veins'； and suddenly I said to her： 'Look here； I would
rather go away or I shall be doing something foolish。'
〃And she whispered to me； as if she had put a red…hot iron under my nose：
'You are not a man。 Now you are going to run away and surrender your
place！ Go； then； Bazaine！'
〃I felt hurt； but yet I did not move； while the other fellow pulled out a
bream： Oh； I never saw such a large one before； never！ And then my wife
began to talk aloud； as if she were thinking； and you can see her tricks。
She said： 'That is what one might call stolen fish； seeing that we set
the bait ourselves。 At any rate； they ought to give us back the money we
have spent on bait。'
〃Then the fat woman in the cotton dress said in her turn： 'Do you mean to
call us thieves； madame？' Explanations followed and compliments began to
fly。 Oh； Lord！ those creatures know some good ones。 They shouted so
loud that our two witnesses； who were on the other bank； began to call
out by way of a joke： 'Less noise over there； you will interfere with
your husbands' fishing。'
〃The fact is that neither the little man nor I moved any more than if we
had been two tree stumps。 We remained there； with our eyes fixed on the
water； as if we had heard nothing； but； by Jove！ we heard all the same。
'You are a thief！ You are nothing better than a tramp！ You are a
regular jade！' and so on and so on。 A sailor could not have said more。
〃Suddenly I heard a noise behind me and turned round。 It was the other
one； the fat woman； who had attacked my wife with her parasol。 Whack；
whack！ Melie got two of them。 But she was furious； and she hits hard
when she is in a rage。 She caught the fat woman by the hair and then
thump！ thump！ slaps in the face rained down like ripe plums。 I should
have let them fight it out： women together； men together。 It does not do
to mix the blows。 But the little man in the linen jacket jumped up like
a devil and was going to rush at my wife。 Ah！ no； no； not that； my
friend！ I caught the gentleman with the end of my fist； and crash！
crash！ One on the nose； the other in the stomach。 He threw up his arms
and legs and fell on his back into the river； just into the hole。
〃I should have fished him out most certainly； Monsieur le President； if I
had had time。 But； to make matters worse； the fat woman had the upper
hand and was pounding Melie for all she was worth。 I know I ought not to
have interfered while the man was in the water； but I never thought that
he would drown and said to myself： 'Bah； it will cool him。'
〃I therefore ran up to the women to separate them and all I received was
scratches and bites。 Good Lord； what creatures！ Well； it took me five
minutes； and perhaps ten； to separate those two viragos。 When I turned
round there was nothing to be seen。
The water was as smooth as a lake and the others yonder kept shouting：
'Fish him out！ fish him out！' It was all very well to say that； but I
cannot swim and still less dive。
〃At last the man from the dam came and two gentlemen with boathooks； but
over a quarter of an hour had passed。 He was found at the bottom of the
hole； in eight feet of water； as I have said。 There he was； the poor
little man； in his linen suit！ Those are the facts such as I have sworn
to。 I am innocent； on my honor。〃
The witnesses having given testimony to the same effect； the accused was
acquitted。
THE SPASM
The hotel guests slowly entered the dining…room and took their places。
The waiters did not hurry themselves； in order to give the late comers a
chance and thus avoid the trouble of bringing in the dishes a second
time。 The old bathers； the habitues； whose season was almost over；
glanced； gazed toward the door whenever it opened； to see what new faces
might appear。
This is the principal distraction of watering places。 People look
forward to the dinner hour in order to inspect each day's new arrivals；
to find out who they are； what they do； and what they think。 We always
have a vague desire to meet pleasant people； to make agreeable
acquaintances； perhaps to meet with a love adventure。 In this life of
elbowings； unknown strangers assume an extreme importance。 Curiosity is
aroused； sympathy is ready to exhibit itself； and sociability is the
order of the day。
We cherish antipathies for a week and friendships for a month； we see
people with different eyes； when we view them through the medium of
acquaintanceship at watering places。 We discover in men suddenly； after
an hour's chat； in the evening after dinner； under the trees in the park
where the healing spring bubbles up； a high intelligence and astonishing
merits； and a month afterward we have completely forgotten these new
friends； who were so fascinating when we first met them。
Permanent and serious ties are also formed here sooner than anywhere
else。 People see each other every day； they become acquainted very
quickly； and their affection is tinged with the sweetness and unrestraint
of long…standing intimacies。 We cherish in after years the dear and
tender memories of those first hours of friendship； the memory of those
first conversations in which a soul was unveiled； of those first glances
which interrogate and respond to questions and secret thoughts which the
mouth has not as yet uttered； the memory of that first cordial
confidence； the memory of that delightful sensation of opening our hearts
to those who seem to open theirs to us in return。
And the melancholy of watering places； the monotony of days that are all
alike； proves hourly an incentive to this heart expansion。
Well； this evening； as on every other evening； we awaited the appearance
of strange faces。
Only two appeared； but they were very remarkable； a man and a woman
father and daughter。 They immediately reminded me of some of Edgar Poe's
characters； and yet there was about them a charm； the charm associated
with misfortune。 I looked upon them as the victims of fate。 The man was
very tall and thin； rather stooped； with perfectly white hair； too white
for his comparatively youthful physiognomy； and there was in his bearing
and in his person that austerity peculiar to Protestants。 The daughter；
who was probably twenty…four or twenty…five； was small in stature； and
was also very thin； very pale； and she had the air of one who was worn
out with utter lassitude。 We meet people like this from time to time；
who seem too weak for the tasks and the needs of daily life； too weak to
move about； to walk； to do all that we do every day。 She was rather
pretty； with a transparent； spiritual beauty。 And she ate with extreme
slowness； as if she were almost incapable of moving her arms。
It must have been she； assuredly； who had come to take the waters。
They sat facing me； on the opposite side of the table； and I at once
noticed that the father had a very singular； nervous twitching。
Every time he wanted to reach an object； his hand described a sort of
zigzag before it succeeded in reaching what it was in search of； and
after a little while this movement annoyed me so that I turned aside my
head in order not to see it。
I noticed； too； that the young girl； during meals； wore a glove on her
left hand。
After dinner I went for a stroll in the park of the bathing
establishment。 This led toward the little Auvergnese station of Chatel…
Guyon； hidden in a gorge at the foot of the high mountain； from which
flowed so many boiling springs； arising from the deep bed of extinct
volcanoes。 Over yonder； above our heads； the domes of extinct craters
lifted their ragged peaks above the rest in the long mountain chain。 For
Chatel…Guyon is situated at the entrance to the land of mountain domes。
Beyond it stretches out the region of peaks； and； farther on again the
region of precipitous summits。
The 〃Puy de Dome〃 is the highest of the domes； the Peak of Sancy is the
loftiest of the peaks； and Cantal is the most precipitous of these
mountain heights。
It was a very warm evening； and I was walking up and down a shady path；
listening to the opening； strains of the Casino band； which was playing
on an elevation overlooking the park。
And I saw the father and the daughter advancing slowly in my direction。
I bowed as one bows to one's hotel companions at a watering place； and
the man； coming to a sudden halt； said to me：
〃Could you not； monsieur； tell us of a nice walk to take； short； pretty；
and not steep； and pardon my troubling yo